SEOUL: A UNESCO committee said in a resolution adopted Thursday that it has endorsed new steps taken by Japan over its Meiji-era industrial revolution sites on the U.N. organization’s World Heritage list.

The World Heritage Committee resolution called on Japan to continue dialogue with countries concerned, including South Korea, according to the South Korean Foreign Ministry.

The move came after the committee expressed in a 2021 resolution strong regret over Japan’s failure to give sufficient explanations on laborers from the Korean Peninsula at some of the sites, including now-defunct coal-mining facilities on the island of Hashima, commonly known as “Gunkanjima” (battleship island), in the southwestern prefecture of Nagasaki.

The latest resolution praised the new Japanese steps, such as setting up a section for paying tribute to workers who died at the sites, at the Industrial Heritage Information Center in Tokyo. It urged Japan to conduct further research, such as collecting more materials, and submit a report by Dec. 1, 2024.

When the industrial revolution sites were added to the heritage list in 2015, South Korea initially opposed the move, pointing out that people from the Korean Peninsula were forced to work there.

But Seoul gave its consent to the addition later as the Japanese side pledged to take measures to explain the situation at the time of the industrial revolution in related exhibits.

The South Korean government said that it will keep a close watch on the process of Japan faithfully implementing the new measures, adding that it will continue dialogue with the Japanese government and UNESCO in anticipation of Tokyo fulfilling its commitments.

JIJI Press