A panel of civilian experts under UNESCO has called on Japan to disclose the "full history" of industrial facilities linked to wartime Korean slave labor, according to its recent report viewed Tuesday.
ICOMOS made the call in the document published on its website on May 15, saying UNESCO should give the facilities world heritage status in a way that "allows understanding of the full history of each site."
A South Korean official with knowledge of the issue said the ICOMOS recommendation reflected South Korea's diplomatic efforts. Seoul has demanded that Tokyo acknowledge forced labor by Koreans at some of the industrial facilities.
In applying for world heritage status, Japan marked the coal mines, shipyards and other industrial zones as dating from 1850-1910. South Korea views the move as a deliberate attempt to whitewash Tokyo's mobilization of nearly 60,000 Korean laborers at seven of the 23 sites during the 1940s. Korea was under Japanese colonial rule from 1910-45.
On Friday, the two sides held talks in Tokyo to resolve the dispute.
The South Korean side, led by Ambassador for Cultural and UNESCO Affairs Choi Jong-moon, demanded that Japan include the period after 1910 in its bid, according to the official.
"That was the main point of the talks," the official told Yonhap News Agency by phone, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.
Japan has so far dismissed South Korea's demand as an attempt to politicize the issue.
The official still expressed hope for a solution, saying the atmosphere was not entirely bad during the talks.
"Japan initially refused to hold bilateral talks, but we succeeded in making them come forward," the official said. "They also insisted on putting the bid to a vote (at the World Heritage Committee), but now they've agreed to a second round of talks."
The two sides have yet to agree on a date for the second meeting.
The final decision is expected to come during a meeting of the World Heritage Committee slated for June 28-July 8 in Bonn, Germany. (Yonhap)