Why does South Korea hold a separate memorial for Korean forced labor victims at the Sado mine?

Seoul has called on Tokyo to acknowledge the coercive nature of Korean workers’ mobilization and present the mine’s entire history. Japan has declined to do so since preparations for the first ceremony in 2024, leading Korea to hold its own ceremony each year.

What did UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee ask Japan to do about the Sado mine’s history?

In a decision adopted in July 2026, the committee called on Japan to further clarify how the mine’s interpretation and presentation reflect its whole history, including the forced mobilization of Korean workers. It also urged Japan to submit a follow-up implementation report by December 2027.

How were Korean workers mobilized and treated at the Sado mine?

Lee Hyuk said workers were mobilized against their will through government-arranged labor placement and conscription involving the Japanese colonial government-general. Many were assigned dangerous underground work, and some died in underground accidents, according to historical records and officials.

Korea urges Japan to face full history of Sado mine during separate memorial

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Summary

South Korea urged Japan to acknowledge the full history of wartime forced labor at the Sado mine during a separate memorial ceremony on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture on Friday. Korean Ambassador to Japan Lee Hyuk addressed the ceremony, attended by nine victims’ family members. More than 1,500 Koreans were mobilized to work at the mine during Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea. A UNESCO World Heritage Committee decision in July 2026 called on Japan to clarify how the site presents its whole history and submit a follow-up report by December 2027.

Key Facts

Lee said Korean workers were mobilized against their will through government-arranged labor placement and conscription involving the Japanese colonial government-general.
Historical records and officials say many Korean workers were assigned dangerous underground tasks, and some died in underground accidents.
Korea and Japan agreed to annual memorial ceremonies at the site when Japan sought Korea’s cooperation for the mine complex’s UNESCO World Heritage inscription in 2024.
Japan has declined to acknowledge the coercive nature of the mobilization since preparations for the first ceremony in 2024, prompting Korea to hold separate ceremonies.
The World Heritage Committee called on Japan to submit a follow-up implementation report by December 2027.

By Yonhap

Published Nov 13, 2026 2:32 pm KST

South Korean Ambassador to Japan Lee Hyuk speaks during a memorial ceremony for Korean victims of forced labor at the Sado mine on Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, Friday. Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Korea on Friday called on Japan to fully acknowledge the history of wartime forced labor at the Sado mine complex as it held a separate memorial ceremony for Korean victims of forced labor for the third consecutive year.

Korean Ambassador to Japan Lee Hyuk made the call during the ceremony held at a hotel on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture, with nine family members of the victims attending.

"Many Korean workers had been mobilized against their will and forced to work at the mine through government-arranged labor placement and conscription under the involvement of the Japanese colonial government-general," Lee said in his memorial address.

"Remembering the pain of the past and sharing our condolences here today will deepen our sense of empathy and healing, and provide an opportunity for everyone to fully understand the entire history of the Sado mine as a World Heritage site," he added.

More than 1,500 Koreans were mobilized to work at the Sado mine during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea. Many were assigned to dangerous underground tasks, and some lost their lives in underground accidents, according to historical records and officials.

The two countries agreed to hold annual memorial ceremonies at the site when Japan sought Korea's cooperation for the Sado mine complex's inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2024. Seoul had called on Tokyo to acknowledge the site's entire history, including the forced labor of Koreans.

Tokyo, however, has declined to acknowledge the coercive nature of the mobilization of Korean workers since preparations for the first ceremony in 2024, prompting Korea to hold its own separate ceremony each year.

The issue has also been addressed by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, which in a decision adopted in July 2026 called on Japan to further clarify how the Sado mine's interpretation and presentation reflect the site's "whole history," which includes the period of forced mobilization of Korean workers.

The committee also urged Japan to submit a follow-up implementation report by December 2027.

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