First Phone Call Between South Korea and Japan Foreign Ministers... Protest Over Disappointment in Sado Mine Registration Efforts

Regarding North Korea's Missiles, South Korea, US, and Japan Agree to Respond Together

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] On the 3rd, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong held a phone call with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa to protest Japan's move to register the Sado Mine as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

This is the first phone call between the two ministers since Hayashi assumed office. Minister Chung sent a congratulatory letter to Minister Hayashi in November last year, but there had been no phone calls until now.

Minister Chung stated, "A correct understanding of history is the foundation for the future-oriented development of Korea-Japan relations," expressing deep disappointment and protest over the Japanese government's decision to proceed with registering the 'Sado Mine' as a World Heritage site while ignoring the painful history of forced labor of Koreans.

He also strongly urged Japan to faithfully implement the follow-up measures it promised when the 'Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution' were registered in 2015, following the decision of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in July last year.

Minister Chung expressed concern that Japan has not implemented these follow-up measures and is instead showing movements that go against the spirit of apology and reflection on past history that the Japanese government itself has expressed in political and governmental circles, and that the Japanese government has also agreed to this.

Furthermore, regarding past issues such as forced labor and victims of the Japanese military's comfort women, he urged Japan to take a more proactive stance to seek solutions acceptable to the victims, while reiterating the South Korean government's position on Japan's export regulations and the Fukushima nuclear wastewater issue.

Meanwhile, the two ministers expressed deep concern and regret over North Korea's launch of a medium-range ballistic missile on the 30th of last month, and agreed to continue cooperation between Korea-Japan and Korea-US-Japan to stably manage the situation on the Korean Peninsula and to promptly resume dialogue.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.