A skull, presumed to belong to victims from the Japanese Taxes underwater coal mine where 136 Korean laborers died during the Japanese occupation, was additionally discovered on the 26th.
The civic group for the return of victims from the Jōsei (Taxes) coal mine announced that it recovered one skull through underwater investigation at the Jōsei coal mine disaster site in Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Honshu, around 2 p.m. on that day.
The previous day, three items believed to be human bones, including a femur, were also found at the site.
Although the group and Japanese civic group 'The Gathering to Etch the Jōsei coal mine submersion accident into history' started underwater investigations at the Jōsei coal mine last September, there had been little progress until two days ago when they began discovering items presumed to be human remains.
The group issued a statement that "thanks to the efforts of civic groups from both countries, we have brought the remains that waited for 83 years under the sea to the surface," adding, "This discovery surpasses the scope of what civic groups can handle, as it now involves DNA analysis and finding the families of the 136 Koreans and 47 Japanese victims."
It also stated, "Since the remains were found due to the efforts of citizens, we now urge both governments to take action," arguing that both countries should activate the 'Korea-Japan remains consultative body' to recover the victims and heal their pain.
The Jōsei coal mine disaster was an incident that occurred on February 3, 1942, in an underwater mine located about 1 kilometer from the coast of Ube City in Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Honshu. The disaster, which began with a mine leak, resulted in the deaths of 183 people, including 136 Koreans and 47 Japanese.
However, to this day, the recovery of victims and the investigation of the circumstances surrounding the incident have not been properly carried out.