Exhibition at Sado Mine ControversyExhibition at Sado Mine Controversy The inclusion of Japan’s Sado Mine as a UNESCO World Heritage Site has sparked controversy, particularly regarding the lack of explicit mention of “forced labor” in the museum exhibition at the mine site. Korean Government’s Position The Korean government maintains that it secured concrete measures from Japan to recognize Korean workers, including: * An exhibition near the mine site highlighting Korean forced labor * Annual memorial ceremonies in honor of Korean workers Criticisms However, critics argue that the exhibition materials fall short of Japan’s commitment, specifically: * Use of the term “workers from the Korean Peninsula” instead of “forced labor” * Placement of the exhibition in a relatively small museum Government Defenses The Korean Foreign Ministry denies reports that an agreement was made to avoid using the term “forced labor” in the exhibition. It states that the current exhibits are temporary and will be replaced with improved materials. Opposition Parties’ Criticism Opposition parties in Korea have criticized the government for not blocking the mine’s listing, calling it a “diplomatic blunder” and questioning the government’s commitment to addressing historical disputes with Japan. Background Sado Mine was a significant site of forced labor during World War II when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule. At least 1,500 Koreans were compelled to work in harsh conditions in the mine. UNESCO World Heritage Status The decision to list Sado Mine as a World Heritage Site was made by consensus among the 21 members of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, including Korea and Japan.
A visitor looks at an exhibit at the Aikawa History Museum at Sado Mine, Japan, Sunday, which includes displays on the harsh conditions Koreans endured in the mine during Japanese colonial rule. Yonhap
No direct mention of ‘forced labor’ in exhibition at controversial mining site
By Lee Hyo-jin
The Korean government’s recent decision to list Japan’s Sado Mine, a controversial wartime site where at least 1,500 Koreans were forced to work, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site has been criticized as a new concession in ongoing historical disputes with Japan.
While the government claims to have secured concrete measures from Tokyo to recognize the Korean workers, including the launch of an exhibition near the mine site, doubts remain about the sincerity of these actions. Critics point out that the exhibition materials do not explicitly mention “forced labor,” which they interpret as Japan’s continued attempt to downplay the reality of modern slavery.
The Sado Mine was listed as a World Heritage Site on Saturday during a session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC) in New Delhi. The decision was taken by consensus among the committee’s 21 members, including Korea and Japan.
The next day, Japanese authorities opened an exhibition about Korean workers at the Aikawa History Museum, located about two kilometers from the mine. This followed Tokyo’s promise to portray the history of Korean forced labor in the mines and to hold annual memorial ceremonies in honor of the Korean workers, in exchange for Seoul’s support for Japan’s World Heritage bid.
Entitled ‘The Lives of Miners, Including People from the Korean Peninsula’, the museum’s exhibition highlights the harsh living and working conditions of Koreans who were forced to work in the war industry there during World War II, when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945).
The exhibition materials reveal that the Japanese General Government, an administrative body established by Imperial Japan during the colonial era, was involved in the “recruitment and employment” of Korean workers at the mine site, and that these Koreans were required to perform heavier work in the mine than their Japanese counterparts.
Mannequins are displayed at the Sohdayu mine, part of the Sado mining complex, on Japan’s Sado Island, Sunday. Yonhap
Kim Yeong-hwan, a member of the Center for Historical Truth and Justice, a local citizens’ group representing victims of forced labor, criticized the exhibitions for falling significantly short of Japan’s promise to acknowledge the mines’ dark history.
“The term ‘workers from the Korean Peninsula’ is used by the Japanese government to dilute the coercive nature of forced labor. It makes it sound like Koreans voluntarily went to Japan to earn money, when the reality is that they were forced to do so without being properly paid,” Kim told The Korea Times on Monday.
He added: “Our government has once again made a concession to Japan in its efforts to maintain friendly bilateral relations. It has turned a blind eye to Japan’s continued attempts to distort history regarding forced labor.”
The activist also questioned why the exhibition was placed in the relatively small Aikawa Museum rather than the larger and more easily accessible Kirarium Sado Information Center.
Some critics argued that the Korean government should have pushed for more explicit descriptions of forced labor in the exhibition hall, as Seoul had significant influence in the discussions.
For a site to be listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, a two-thirds majority of the 21 WHC members present is required, although decisions are usually made by consensus. Korea was the only known member to object to the Sado Mine listing, meaning that if Seoul had maintained its objection, listing would have been impossible.
“It is difficult to understand why our government rushed into signing this agreement when it could have taken more time for negotiations by postponing the tender until next year and demanding that Japan more accurately describe the mine’s history,” said Yang Ki-ho, a professor of Japanese studies at Sungkonghoe University.
A lunch box used by Korean workers at the Sado Mine is displayed in an exhibition hall at the Aikawa History Museum on Sunday. Yonhap
Opposition parties criticized the government for not blocking the mine’s bid, calling it a “diplomatic blunder.”
“This move, which endorses Japan’s distortion of its war crimes, raises questions about whether our government is truly a Korean government or merely an extension of Japan’s colonial rule,” Rep. Park Chan-dae, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), said on Monday.
Following the Sado Mine listing, some Japanese media reported on Sunday that the Korean and Japanese governments had agreed not to use terms related to “forced labor” at the exhibition site.
The Korean Foreign Ministry denied the reports, calling them “baseless.”
The ministry also explained that the exhibitions are permanent facilities and that Japan has pledged to improve them.
“The current exhibits were hastily prepared because the agreement between Korea and Japan (over the Sado mine) was reached at the last minute. There are plans to quickly replace them with better quality materials,” a statement released Sunday night said.
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