UNESCO Panel to Urge Japan to Reform Exhibits at Sado Gold Mines

Seoul, July 16 (Jiji Press)–The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has come up with a draft recommendation urging Japan to reform exhibits at gold mines on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture in the central part of the country. The draft, which has been released by Wednesday, was compiled based on South Korea’s argument that people from the Korean Peninsula were forced to provide labor at the mining complex during World War II. The Sado Island Gold Mines in the city of Sado were registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2024. When it filed for registration, the Japanese government said that exhibits on the history of the mines during the periods from the late 16th century to the mid-19th century would be on display. The South Korean government, which initially opposed the addition of the gold mines to the World Heritage list, eventually gave its consent on condition that a facility showcasing items related to the mine during the war be installed. Following the development, the UNESCO committee recommended that Japan set up a facility presenting the mines’ history across all periods. Last year, the Japanese government submitted to the committee a report on progress in the implementation of the recommendation. Concluding that the Japanese efforts were not sufficient although some progress was made, the committee called on the nation in the new draft recommendation to continue talks with countries concerned on the degree of progress and submit reports. The draft has been distributed to member countries of the committee, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. The World Heritage Committee is slated to hold a meeting in the South Korean city of Busan from Sunday to July 29. The draft recommendation on Japan will be discussed from Monday to Thursday and will be adopted unless objections are raised. Japan is currently not a member of the committee. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]