Did Japan Properly Address Forced Labor History of 'Gunkanjima'? World Heritage Committee to Release Decision After Evaluation
Evaluation of How Much Forced Labor History of Joseon People Has Been Publicized
Recommendation Expected for Dialogue with Related Countries Including Korea
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee will adopt a mid-term evaluation decision document after two years regarding whether Japan is properly informing the history of forced labor by Koreans in the Meiji Industrial Revolution Heritage, including the Hashima (Gunkanjima) coal mine. The decision document is expected to state that continuous dialogue with related countries, including South Korea, is necessary.
According to the World Heritage Committee website and diplomatic authorities on the 10th, the World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 countries, will evaluate Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution Heritage preservation status report and issue a decision document at the 45th World Heritage Committee meeting held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from the 10th to the 25th.
The Japan Meiji Industrial Revolution Heritage preservation status report was requested after the 2021 World Heritage Committee issued a decision document expressing "strong regret" that Japan was not properly explaining the forced conscription of Koreans related to the Meiji Industrial Revolution Heritage. Previously, Japan promised to inform the full history, including the forced labor of Koreans, when the Meiji Industrial Revolution Heritage was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2015, but it failed to properly fulfill this promise, drawing criticism from the World Heritage Committee and the international community.
The World Heritage Committee plans to officially evaluate the report this time and publish the results in the form of a decision document. According to a draft decision document shared in advance, Japan was requested to "improve the interpretation strategy of the facilities by encouraging additional research, collection and verification of materials, including reviewing new testimonies, as well as continuous dialogue with related countries."
Additionally, updates on the ongoing dialogue and additional measures with related countries are to be submitted by December 1 of next year to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, which acts as the secretariat of the World Heritage Committee, and its advisory bodies for review. South Korea is expected to be a key related country. It is known that the South Korean government participated in the entire consultation process before this decision document was issued and expressed its opinions.
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This mid-term evaluation by the World Heritage Committee is drawing attention as Japan is currently proceeding with the procedure to inscribe the Sado (佐渡) mine, another site of forced Korean labor, as a World Heritage site. Japan's position is that it is a priority to fulfill its promises related to the Meiji Industrial Revolution Heritage and take follow-up measures rather than attempting to inscribe the Sado mine again. The Sado mine is being reviewed by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), a UNESCO advisory body, and the final inscription decision will be made next year.
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