The Korean government held a memorial service on site in Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, for Korean descendants of Joseon victims who were forced to work at the Sado Mine.
On the 21st, the Korean government rented a hotel event space on Sado Island in the morning and held the "Memorial service for Korean victims of forced mobilization at the Sado Mine," attended by 11 people from seven Korean bereaved families and Lee Hyuk, Korea's ambassador to Japan.
Previously, when Japan listed the Sado Mine as a UNESCO World Heritage site last year, it had promised to hold a memorial event, but after it proceeded only in a perfunctory manner, the Korean government held a separate memorial for the second consecutive year.
Ambassador Lee, who attended the event as the government representative, said in a eulogy, "We have gathered to remember together the pain and suffering of all the workers who labored at the Sado Mine," adding, "Reflecting on the pain of the past and sharing our intention to mourn will deepen the spirit of empathy and healing."
Taking into account the Japanese government's stance of not recognizing the forced labor of Joseon people, the Korean government has declined to attend Japan's memorial events for two years in a row, last year and this year.
In fact, at the "Sado Mine memorial service" held on Sept. 13 by the Sado Mine Memorial Service Executive Committee, the Japanese government representative made no mention whatsoever of the forced nature of Joseon labor.
Okano Yukiko, director-general for International Cultural Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who attended as the Japanese government representative at the time, referred to the Joseon people who were forced to work as "workers from the Korean Peninsula" in a eulogy and showed a lukewarm attitude by saying, "While thinking of the efforts of all Sado Mine workers, I express my sincere condolences to all those who passed away."
The Sado Mine was mainly used as a mine to secure war materials after the Pacific War, and it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site on Jul. 27, 2024. Colonized Joseon people were forcibly mobilized and worked under harsh conditions while facing discrimination, and the number of Joseon people who labored at the Sado Mine from 1940 to 1945 is known to be 1,519.