For the third consecutive year, South Korea was absent from the memorial ceremony for victims of forced labor at Sado Kaneyama.

China News Service, Seoul, September 9 (Reporter Kim Wook) The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on the 9th local time that the South Korean government decided not to participate in the memorial ceremony for the forced labor victims of Sado Jinshan held in Sado City, Niigata Prefecture on the 12th in Japan. This will be the third year in a row that South Korea has been absent from the event.

According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the two sides failed to reach consensus on the core disputed issues, so South Korea decided not to participate in the ceremony.

Sado Kaneyama is located in Sado City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. According to Korean media, during World War II, in order to ensure the supply of war materials, Japan forced about 1,500 Korean Peninsula laborers to perform heavy labor in this gold mine. Due to the harsh and oppressive working conditions, many workers later died of pneumoconiosis.

According to reports, in July 2024, Japan’s Sado Jinshan was included in the World Cultural Heritage List at the 46th UNESCO World Heritage Conference. In order to win cooperation from South Korea, the Japanese government has promised to hold a memorial ceremony for the victims of forced labor. However, during the preparation and holding process, Japan has never acknowledged the relevant historical facts. Therefore, South Korea has continuously been absent from events hosted by Japan and held separate memorial ceremonies.

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on the same day that South Korea paid close attention to the relevant decisions made by the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Conference on Sado Jinshan and urged Japan to effectively and completely implement the recommendations made in the decision.

In July 2026, the 48th World Heritage Conference passed relevant resolutions, requiring Japan to comprehensively display the "overall history" of Sado Gold Mountain and further improve relevant explanations, display strategies and related facilities. The resolution also requires Japan to submit an implementation report before December 1, 2027, and plans to review the report at the 50th World Heritage Conference. (over)