Japanese report on Unesco sites distorts history, Korea says

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Japanese report on Unesco sites distorts history, Korea says

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI


A view of Hashima Island, also known as "Battleship Island," from off the coast of Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan [YONHAP]

A view of Hashima Island, also known as "Battleship Island," from off the coast of Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan [YONHAP]

Seoul expressed “regret” Friday over Tokyo's recent report on its Unesco-listed industrial sites, including Hashima Island, also known as Battleship Island, saying the government had failed to provide a full historical account of wartime forced labor involving Koreans despite nearly a decade of international recommendations.
 
The report neglected Korea's requests to correct Japan's historical distortions and reflect the entire history of the sites, further reinforcing Seoul's concerns about Tokyo's insincerity regarding historical issues after the recent Sado Mines Memorial Ceremony, which was solely attended by Japanese representatives after Korean invitees boycotted it.
 
Japan’s latest “State of Conservation Report” on its 23 Meiji-era industrial sites, released by the Unesco World Heritage Committee on Friday, outlined measures such as an interpretation strategy emphasizing the Outstanding Universal Value of each site, a training program for interpreters and extended operating days for the Industrial Heritage Information Center (IHIC) that it installed in Tokyo, far away from the site in Nagasaki Prefecture.
 
The report was submitted in response to a decision adopted by consensus in September 2024, in which Unesco urged Japan to engage in dialogue with relevant countries and to fulfill its pledge to reflect the “full history” of the sites on Seoul's request.
 
Japan’s report, however, failed to meet Korea’s demands. The nation had asked that Japan exhibit testimony from Korean forced labor victims, provide full context of the history, remove displays implying the legality of Japan’s annexation of Korea and meaningfully commemorate the victims.
 
Instead, the report noted that the IHIC had collaborated with coal mine museums, former island residents, universities, corporations and government agencies to collect historical documents illustrating the work environment under harsh conditions during and after World War II. It also shared Japanese government requisition policies through exhibitions and supported comparative research on wages and benefits for Korean and Japanese industrial workers. Despite these efforts, Japan’s actions stopped short of fully acknowledging and properly representing the forced labor of Koreans. 
 
Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed “regret” regarding Japan's latest report.
 
“We once again urge Japan to promptly and sincerely implement the relevant follow-up measures in line with its own commitments to the international community,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said Friday.
 
During a closed-door briefing, a senior ministry official said that Korea will “continue to raise the issue,” both bilaterally and within the Unesco framework, and will issue further diplomatic protests “through a diplomatic channel.”
The seats designated for Korean government representatives and bereaved families remain empty at the Sado Mines Memorial Ceremony on Nov. 24, 2024. The Korean government decided not to attend the Japan-hosted event. [NEWS1]

The seats designated for Korean government representatives and bereaved families remain empty at the Sado Mines Memorial Ceremony on Nov. 24, 2024. The Korean government decided not to attend the Japan-hosted event. [NEWS1]

 
However, with no means to enforce Japan’s commitments or impose sanctions, Korea remains limited in its ability to ensure compliance, relying instead on Japan’s willingness to act in good faith.
 
“Japan’s repeated failure to comply with Unesco World Heritages’s decisions could harm its reputation and standing within Unesco,” the official said.
 
Some voices in Korea are calling for the government to push for the revoking of Japan’s World Heritage inscriptions.
 
However, experts note that delisting is a complex process. In June 2020, the previous Moon Jae-in administration sent a letter to the Unesco director-general requesting cooperation in adopting a resolution that included the possibility of delisting Japan’s sites due to historical distortions, but the effort did not yield significant results.
 
Under Unesco regulations, a site can only be delisted if there is a “substantial change” in its status, such as severe damage or failure in preservation efforts. 
 
“There are many opinions on what constitutes a 'substantial change' that could enable delisting, and the government is undergoing review,” another ministry official said. 

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]
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