Korea voices 'strong regret' over Japan's Sado mine heritage push
An underground shaft of a former gold and silver mine on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture is seen in this photo taken on Jan. 4, 2021. Yonhap
South Korea on Friday expressed "deep regret" over Japan's push to nominate a former gold mine associated with wartime forced labor as a candidate for a UNESCO World Heritage site and called for its retraction.
The foreign ministry lodged a protest after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced plans to nominate the controversial mine on Sado Island for the 2023 UNESCO heritage list.
The decision is expected to be confirmed in a Cabinet meeting slated for Feb. 1, the application deadline.
"Our government expresses deep regret over the Japanese government's decision to push for the Sado mine, where Koreans were forced to labor during World War II, despite our repeated warnings, and urged it to stop such attempts," ministry spokesperson Choi Young-sam said in a statement. (Yonhap)