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was informed that Japan has selected the Sado Mine, the site of forced labor for Koreans in the past, as a candidate for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. If you look at the reports of mining companies during the Japanese colonial period, you can see expressions that downplayed Koreans as inferior.



This is the exclusive report by Correspondent Yoo Seong-jae, Tokyo.



<Reporter> The



forced mobilization of Koreans to the Sado mine in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, began in earnest in 1939, during the Sino-Japanese War.



The Koreans, who were mobilized without explanation that they were working in the coal mines and suffered from harsh labor, went on strike twice in February and April 1940, in which 90 people each participated.



They asked the mines to improve working conditions and raise wages.



In the summer of the same year, Mitsubishi Mining, the operator of the Sado mine, submitted a report on Korean workers to the Japan Mining Association.



As the cause of the strike in April, he pointed out that "the level of intelligence and understanding of Koreans was lower than expected, and communication was lacking."



He also wrote, "The instigation of a small number of disgruntled people has revealed the temperament of being smitten and devastated."



In order to prevent disputes, the mine side even wrote a policy that Koreans who were designated as so-called 'bad workers' should be strictly inspected and other Korean workers should also be managed with a tight 'network'.



At the same time, the Koreans were downgraded, saying, "Working in the mines, where most of the effort is made, is appropriate."



[Kobayashi / Forced Mobilization Fact Investigation Network: (Not only Sado) Almost all companies use such expressions.

At most labor sites in Japan, Koreans had to work in such a discriminatory environment.]



It is pointed out that an accurate investigation into the working environment at the time, when forced mobilization was insufficient and even national contempt was rampant, should take precedence over the promotion of World Heritage registration.




(Video coverage: Hyunjin Moon, Video editing: Mira Yu)