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| Hashima Island off Nagasaki, southwestern Japan, known for its underground coal mining during the industrialization of Japan. (Photo from expatolife/ Ha Fruong) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] On Monday Japan was condemned by North Korea for denying the wartime brutality of forcing Koreans into harsh labor and reneging on its promise to honor victims at an information center about early modern industrial facilities designated as World Heritage.
The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) made the criticism during a commentary piece, criticizing Japan for "cunningly trying to cover up the history of forced labor of Koreans in the coal mines on Hashima Island." The KCNA also highlighted that the World Heritage Committee (WHC) recently adopted a resolution stating Japan's failure to provide sufficient explanation about Korean victims of wartime forced labor at the Tokyo information center.
"Japan's actions, which challenge the decisions of an international organization, demonstrate the arrogance, shamelessness and low morals unique to the Japanese people that know no justice and have no conscience for our humanity and it clearly shows how the authorities are attempting to deny their crimes in the past," it said. Meanwhile, upon the 2015 World Heritage designation of 23 Meiji-era sites, Tokyo said it would establish an information center to remember the victims based on its recognition of "Koreans and others who were brought against their will and forced to work under harsh conditions in the 1940s at some of the sites."
