▲ This image shows a tunnel at the Sado mine complex in Japan, where Korean laborers were mobilized to work during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
▲ An exhibit at the Aikawa Folk Museum near the Sado mine complex in Japan's Niigata Prefecture, a UNESCO World Heritage site, shows records indicating that 1,519 Koreans worked at the mine between 1940 and 1945, in this file photo taken Sept. 12, 2025. (Yonhap)
▲ A memorial ceremony for workers at the Sado mine is held on Sado Island in Japan's Niigata Prefecture, in this file photo from Sept. 13, 2025. South Korea skipped the event for the second straight year, saying the events fell short of adequately reflecting the history of forced labor by Koreans. Seoul instead has held separate memorial services. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, July 15 (Yonhap) -- An international heritage body has recommended that Japan take further steps to adequately reflect the "whole history" of the Sado mine World Heritage site, linked to the wartime mobilization of Korean laborers, saying Tokyo's related efforts remain insufficient.

The recommendation was included in a draft decision released Wednesday by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee following its review of a State of Conservation (SOC) report submitted by Japan late last year, according to Seoul's foreign ministry.

When approving the inscription of the mine as a World Heritage site in July 2024, the committee recommended that Japan present the site's "whole history" across all periods of mining activity.

South Korean foreign ministry officials said the "whole history" includes the period during which more than 1,500 Koreans were mobilized to work at the mine during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. Once known for its gold production, the complex was later used to produce war supplies for the Japanese imperial army during World War II.

According to the draft decision, the committee found that Japan's measures to reflect the site's whole history in its interpretation and exhibition materials remain insufficient despite some progress.

It also recommends that Japan closely consult with relevant parties to ensure that the property's history is comprehensively presented and Tokyo submit a follow-up implementation report by December 2027.

The draft decision is scheduled to be discussed at the 48th committee session in the southeastern South Korean city of Busan next week. Unless objections are raised by member states, it is expected to be adopted by consensus.

"We view the decision as reflecting our consistent position that Japan's implementation of the committee's recommendations remains insufficient," a foreign ministry official said.

"We will continue to work closely with the UNESCO Secretariat and relevant countries to ensure that Japan faithfully implements the committee's decisions and the commitments it made at the time of the site's inscription," the official added.

Japan has held annual memorial ceremonies for workers at the mine as part of commitments made during the inscription process. South Korea, however, has declined to attend the Japan-hosted event for two consecutive years, noting the ceremony failed to adequately reflect the site's whole history, including the forced mobilization of Korean laborers.

Seoul has instead held separate memorial services each year near the mine site with the bereaved family members of the forced laborers.

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