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When Japan attempted to inscribe the Sado mine as a World Heritage Site, a joint public-private task force formed yesterday (4th) took its first steps.
The task force emphasized that Japan must keep its promise to inform the fact of forced labor when it was registered as a warship in 2015.
Reporter Kim A-young reports.
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The first meeting of the Sado Mine Response Task Force was held in the presence of 10 ministries and institutions, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Culture, as well as private experts.
Following the announcement of the launch on the 28th of last month, it has begun full-scale operation.
Ambassador Lee Sang-hwa, who served as the head of the group, urged them to prepare thoroughly for data collection and analysis through expert advice and collaboration between relevant ministries and agencies.
The TF side highlighted the fact that the World Heritage Committee had made a 'strong decision' regarding modern cultural heritage such as Japan's warship island in July of last year.
We did not keep our promise at the time to explain the fact of forced labor, so the purpose is to fulfill this first.
The TF plans to engage in all-round negotiations and publicity, emphasizing that promoting the inscription while ignoring the history of forced labor is not in line with the fundamental purpose of the World Heritage Site.
In order to be registered, it is necessary to go through the review of documents and then the International Council on Monuments and Sites and Ecomos, which are advisory organizations to UNESCO.
It is expected that the tug-of-war between Japan, which wants to be inscribed as a World Heritage Site, and the Korean diplomatic authorities, who want to block it, will begin in earnest, as both Korea and Japan have operated a pan-government task force around May next year.