Japan considering memorial service at UNESCO World Heritage mine site as early as Sept.

Japan is considering holding a commemoration for wartime forced laborers at a former gold mine, which was recently listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as early as September, diplomatic sources said Monday. The move is part of an agreement between Japan and South Korea as the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC) decided to inscribe the mine on Sado Island during its meeting in New Delhi on Saturday. The mine was the world's largest producer of gold in the 17th century. South Korea had initially protested Tokyo's push to list the mine, arguing that Japan intended to omit the part of its history involving thousands of Koreans who were forced to work there during World War II when Korea was under Japan's colonial rule from 1910 to 1945. It is estimated that over 2,000 Koreans were forcibly mobilized to work under harsh conditions at the Sado mine. South Korea later agreed to the mine's inscription on the condition that Japan faithfully implements the recommendations of the International Council on Monum ents and Sites (ICOMOS), an advisory body to the UNESCO WHC, and takes other measures, according to a release from the ministry. Several locations are being considered for the commemoration ceremony, including the temple near the Aikawa Local Museum, which features an exhibition on Korean laborers at the Sado mine. The temple, located about a five-minute drive from the museum, has a memorial tower honoring the mine workers, including Korean laborers. In the past, small-scale commemorations have been held at the temple, organized by private groups. Source: Yonhap News Agency