Paris: The UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC) on Monday rejected a South Korean proposal calling for a review of Japan's implementation of its pledged measures regarding industrial sites linked to wartime forced labor.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the decision followed an unprecedented vote during the WHC session in Paris. The committee was unable to reach a consensus on whether to include the UNESCO-listed Japanese industrial revolution sites as an agenda item for this year's meeting, which runs through next Wednesday. Of the valid votes counted, seven were in favor of Japan, while Korea secured three votes. A simple majority of six was required for the motion to pass in Japan's favor, and the vote was anonymous.
The WHC consists of 21 member states, including South Korea and Japan. Seoul had put forth the proposal to continue evaluating Japan's implementation of measures it promised to take, aimed at reflecting the "full history" of the sites. This includes Hashima Island, where many Koreans were subjected to forced labor during World War II under Japan's colonial rule from 1910 to 1945.
The result raises questions about the future evaluations of these industrial sites at the UNESCO level, as a reassessment now seems unlikely to be considered by the WHC. It also represents a diplomatic setback for Seoul's ongoing efforts to urge Tokyo to confront wartime atrocities and present them to the international community in a manner that properly honors the forced labor victims.
In 2015, Japan pledged to remember the wartime forced labor victims after 23 of its Meiji-era industrial revolution sites were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. Japan has since established a museum in Tokyo with exhibits related to the history, but the move has faced criticism from Seoul for not fully presenting the historical context as promised.
Japan has submitted follow-up progress reports to UNESCO detailing its implementation efforts, but each report has prompted the committee to urge Tokyo to do more in presenting the entire history, aligning with South Korea's stance that Japan's actions fall short of its original commitment.
The WHC had been reviewing the Japanese industrial sites every two to three years since their UNESCO designation. However, the issue was not included on this year's agenda because Japan's most recent report, submitted in 2024, was an "update" to a previous implementation report, not a formal version that would automatically trigger a review. South Korea's efforts to address the issue were also constrained at the time, as it was not a WHC member state.