Japan's attempt to hold UNESCO accountable for whether it has properly fulfilled its promise regarding the registration of Hashima (端島·Gunkanjima) coal mine as a World Heritage site has fallen flat. Despite a historic vote between Japan and South Korea over whether to address the Gunkanjima issue as an official agenda item at UNESCO, Japan lost, raising concerns about the potential impact on the previously amicable South Korea-Japan relations maintained under the government of Lee Jae-myung.
At the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Paris, France, on the 7th (local time), discussion centered on the formal adoption of the 'Evaluation of the implementation of the committee's decisions' agenda item, which had previously been tabled as a 'tentative agenda.' The representative from South Korea explained the rationale for proposing the agenda, emphasizing that Japan's inadequate measures need to be reassessed.
However, Japan opposed, stating that the issue should be discussed at a bilateral level rather than at the committee, and submitted a 'revised proposal' for the removal of the item. South Korea requested a vote, asserting that this could not be accepted. The voting process was conducted through a secret ballot among 21 member countries, and Japan's revised proposal was adopted with a majority (7 in favor, 3 against, 8 abstentions, and 3 invalid votes).
As a result, concerns have emerged that it has become very difficult to raise issues related to Gunkanjima at UNESCO during the ongoing meeting, which continues until the 16th. Gunkanjima, located a 40-minute boat ride from Nagasaki City, is one of the industrial revolution heritage sites designated as a World Cultural Heritage site by Japan in July 2015.
The Japanese government publicly promised to explain forced mobilization of Koreans during the registration process, but it has not properly fulfilled this promise. Instead, Japan has been criticized for reinforcing claims that there was no coercion related to the mobilization of Koreans and 'comfort women,' neglecting the overall history while emphasizing facts favorable to itself.
In particular, the information center that opened in 2020 has been criticized for failing to address Korean forced labor and only describing the importance and pride of Japanese industrialization, distorting history. The fact that the center was established in Tokyo rather than in Kyushu, which has many heritage sites, sparked further controversy. Should the committee point out these inadequate measures by Japan, it has been observed that Japan often repeats past patterns of taking additional actions.
The formal adoption of decisions related to the committee has occurred four times (in 2015, 2018, 2021, and 2023). However, in the most recent decision adopted in 2023, the committee introduced a variable by requesting an 'update report' rather than a 'formal report' from Japan.
Formal reports automatically become subjects for the committee's review, while update reports do not. At that time, it was reported that South Korea lacked negotiating power as it was not a member of the committee. Consequently, South Korea had to undertake comprehensive diplomatic efforts to bring this issue onto the committee's agenda to address Japan's inadequate follow-up actions.
In contrast, Japan countered with the logic that it is appropriate to resolve issues through bilateral consultations with South Korea, and as the differences could not be narrowed, it ultimately led to an unprecedented showdown over historical issues. Analysis suggests that Japan's influence from the contribution fee, which is three times larger than Korea's, alongside the fact that this issue has repeatedly been discussed at UNESCO for a long time, has impacted the committee members' choices.
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official expressed regret that 'the votes necessary for agenda adoption were not secured,' stating that 'we will continue to demand that Japan faithfully implement the relevant decisions of the World Heritage Committee and its own promises in both bilateral and multilateral contexts.' The official added, 'While maintaining our position clearly on historical issues, the government aims to continue future-oriented cooperation based on mutual trust with Japan.'