Industrial Heritage Information Center's 'Forced Labor Distortion' Controversy... Japan's Unreasonable Claim of "Faithful Implementation of World Heritage Committee Recommendations"

by Lim Chulyoung

Published 15 Jun.2020 18:59(KST)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs "Strong Protest Over Broken Promise... Urging Fulfillment of Commitment"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Japanese government has made an unfounded claim that it is faithfully implementing the resolutions and recommendations of the World Heritage Committee regarding the Industrial Heritage Information Center, which has been embroiled in controversy over historical distortion.

Okada Naoki, Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, said at a regular press conference in the afternoon, "We take the resolutions and recommendations of the World Heritage Committee seriously and have faithfully implemented them, including the measures promised by our government." This was in response to South Korea expressing strong regret that Japan did not keep its promise to commemorate the victims of forced labor when registering Meiji-era industrial facilities as UNESCO World Heritage sites that day.

Okada added, "I understand that the center opened on March 31 this year and was opened to the public today," and said, "The statement promised by the Japanese government to the international community at the time of the 2015 World Heritage registration is also displayed on panels inside the Industrial Heritage Information Center."

Regarding the afternoon summons of Koji Domita, the Japanese Ambassador to Korea, by Lee Tae-ho, the Second Vice Foreign Minister, to protest historical distortion, Okada explained, "Japan strongly rebutted, stating that it is faithfully implementing the resolutions and recommendations of the World Heritage Committee and that the exhibitions at the Industrial Heritage Information Center are appropriate."

In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly protested Japan's historical distortion at the Industrial Heritage Information Center and the complete failure to implement the promised follow-up measures at the time of the registration of modern industrial facilities as World Cultural Heritage.

Spokesperson Kim In-cheol stated that day, "Our government strongly protests that the follow-up measures recommended by the World Heritage Committee (WHC) in July 2015 at the time of the registration of Japan's modern industrial facilities as World Heritage and promised by Japan have not been implemented at all in the exhibition content of the Industrial Heritage Information Center located in Tokyo, which is open to the public."

The Japanese government promised to make the facts of forced labor understandable when registering modern industrial facilities as World Cultural Heritage but did not fulfill this promise. Spokesperson Kim said, "The Japanese government promised as a concrete follow-up measure to implement the World Heritage Committee's recommendations to make it possible to understand the fact that many Koreans, whom Japan itself acknowledged, were mobilized against their will and forced to work under harsh conditions, but the center includes content that directly contradicts such promises and completely distorts historical facts, which is deeply regrettable."

He added, "In particular, the Japanese government promised to establish the information center as a measure to honor the victims of forced labor, but there is no effort to commemorate the victims anywhere in the exhibition content of the newly opened center, which is a cause for concern and disappointment."

He also urged strict compliance with the decisions of the World Heritage Committee. Spokesperson Kim said, "The government once again sternly urges Japan to faithfully implement the promises made to Korea and the international community at the time of the World Heritage registration and to thoroughly comply with the decisions of the World Heritage Committee, which recommended understanding the entire history of each facility."