The South Korean Foreign Ministry urged Tokyo on Tuesday to stop pressing for the inclusion of the closed Sado mine, associated with the forced labor of Koreans, as part of Japan's industrial heritage and on the UNESCO World Heritage List, pledging measures to prevent this if necessary.
The mine, shut down in 1989, was known for using Korean forced labor by Japan during its colonization of the Korean Peninsula in 1910-1945, the ministry said, calling on Japan to promptly withdraw its nomination of the mine as a World Heritage site.
"Our government will sternly respond with the international community to prevent a site where workers were forced into toil against their will from being designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site without enough explanation," Choi Young-sam, the spokesperson for the ministry, was quoted as saying by the Yonhap news agency.
The site in question operated as a major gold and silver mine in the 17th century but its production levels significantly dropped by the end of the 19th century. After a short-term recovery, mining operations were reduced under the impact of World War II.
According to the agency, citing historical documents, at least 1,200 Koreans were forced into labor at the mine.
If Japan pursues this action, a decision on the matter is expected to be made in 2023, the outlet said. (ANI/Sputnik)
( With inputs from ANI )
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