A view of Gunkanjima, showing a cluster of ruins, in Nagasaki on December 20, 2020. (© Sankei)
At the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, held in Paris on July 7, delegates revisited the issue of sites related to Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution.
Since their inscription on the UNESCO list in 2015, the South Korean government has argued that the Japanese side has not fully honored its commitments regarding the Hashima Island and its coal mine.
Seoul claims that Tokyo has failed to properly acknowledge what it calls the forced labor of Koreans at the mine during its colonial rule.
On Monday, the South Korean representative requested the committee to reexamine Japan's follow-up measures and suggested adding it to the formal agenda. Japanese representatives opposed, asserting that it had faithfully implemented earlier resolutions.
With no consensus reached, the committee chair called for a vote.
The Vote
An anonymous ballot was conducted among the 21 member states, with Japan's revised proposal adopted by seven votes in favor, three against, and several abstentions.
Instead of reopening the issue as South Korea requested, the committee endorsed the position that disputes over the Hashima Island and its coal mine should be resolved through bilateral dialogue rather than UNESCO procedures.
With this outcome, it is unlikely that the issue will be formally discussed again during the current session, which ends on July 16, or in future meetings.
Behind the Dispute
Hashima Island, also known as Gunkanjima, is a former undersea coal mine located off the coast of Nagasaki. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015 as one of the 23 Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution.
At the time of registration, Tokyo pledged to explain the full history of the site, including the conscription of Koreans under wartime labor policies.
Seoul insists Japan has not fulfilled that promise, pointing in particular to the Industrial Heritage Information Center opened in 2020, which it says omits or downplays the history of what South Koreans allege was forced labor.
Over the past decade, the UNESCO committee has revisited the subject, adopting resolutions in 2015, 2018, 2021, and 2023. The 2021 decision echoed South Korea's concerns, expressing "strong regret" over Japan's limited follow-through. In contrast, the 2023 resolution took a more conciliatory tone, acknowledging Japan's additional efforts and encouraging further dialogue.
The 2023 resolution also downgraded the reporting requirement from a "formal report," which requires committee review, to an "update report," which does not.
Looking Ahead
Despite the latest vote, Seoul is expected to continue raising the matter in other forums and on the international stage.
Meanwhile, Tokyo maintains that it has fulfilled its obligations, stating that conscription at the time applied to all nationals, including Koreans, and denies any discriminatory treatment.
At the latest meeting, Japanese delegates expressed concern that discussing issues unrelated to the cultural heritage value could lead to the "politicization" of the World Heritage Committee.
The recent UNESCO decision reflects the committee's tendency to steer politically sensitive historical disputes toward direct bilateral dialogue instead of prolonged arbitration.
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Author: Kenji Yoshida
