South Korea calls on UNESCO to step in if Japan reneges on pledge over forced labour site

Seoul, July 15 South Korea on Tuesday called on UNESCO's heritage oversight body to step in if Japan continues to backtrack on its promise to honour wartime forced labour victims from its UNESCO World Heritage-listed industrial sites.

South Korean Ambassador to UNESCO Bak Sang-mee made the call during a session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC) in Paris, about a week after Seoul's attempt to place the industrial sites on this year's WHC agenda was blocked by a rare vote among member states, including both South Korea and Japan.

Seoul sought to bring attention to Japan's lukewarm efforts in implementing WHC recommendations on presenting the full history of the Meiji industrial revolution sites, which were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2015, reported Yonhap news agency.

One of the sites is Hashima Island, where many Koreans were taken to toil during World War II, when Korea was under Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule.

"The case of the site of Japan's Meiji industrial revolution is notable for the committee's consistent request through four consecutive decisions for the development of an interpretation strategy that allows for an understanding of the full history of each site," Bak said. "However, nearly a decade later, its implementation remains insufficient and continues to raise concerns."

Japan has established a museum in Tokyo featuring exhibits on related history, but the move has drawn criticism from Seoul for failing to present the full historical context as promised.

Bak said South Korea will continue to support the full implementation of the WHC decisions on the sites, including through bilateral consultations with Japan.

"We sincerely hope that Japan will engage in this process in a constructive and responsible manner," she said.

Still, Bak said the WHC should engage if Japan continues to fail to follow through on the WHC decisions.

"Should the shortcomings in the interpretive strategies at the Tokyo Industrial Heritage Information Centre remain unaddressed despite such (bilateral) efforts, the committee should maintain its engagement in this matter as part of its ongoing responsibility," she said.

Japan submitted follow-up progress reports to UNESCO outlining its implementation efforts. But each has prompted the committee to urge Tokyo to do more to present the whole history, echoing South Korea's position that Japan's actions fall short of its original commitment.

The WHC had reviewed the sites every two to three years since their UNESCO designation. However, the issue was not included on this year's agenda, as Japan's most recent report, submitted in 2024, was an "update" to a previous implementation report, not a formal version that would automatically trigger a review.

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