National Affairs

The Korean government on June 15, 2020, condemned the Japanese government for claiming no discrimination against Korean forced workers occurred in an exhibition at the Industrial Heritage Information Centre in Tokyo.


In its spokesperson's statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "The Japanese government had pledged that as a concrete follow-up action to implement a World Heritage Committee (WHC) recommendation, it would take measures allowing the understanding that many Koreans and others were brought against their will and forced to work under harsh conditions, a fact Japan itself acknowledged."

"However, it is deeply regrettable that the center exhibits content that directly contradicts the commitment made by the Japanese government and completely distorts historical facts."


The WHC advised Japan to prepare an interpretive strategy for the presentation of 23 sites, including Hashima Island, to allow an understanding of the full history of each site. In response, Japan pledged to admit to committing forced labor mobilization involving Koreans and other workers and to build an information center to educate the public about the issue.



[Q&A] Info center and Japan's history of using forced workers

[Q&A] Info center and Japan's history of using forced workers

The Japanese government is under fire because of its distortion of history and broken promise to the world through the Industrial Heritage Information Centre in Tokyo, wh...

Aug 24,2020

Tokyo daily urges Japan to 'be humble before history'

Tokyo daily urges Japan to 'be humble before history'

The Japanese daily Tokyo Shimbun on Aug. 11 said in an editorial that to resolve the row between Korea and Japan over the latter's forced labor in the early 20th century,...

Aug 12,2020

Masuno: Japan began organized activities to deny forcibly mobilizing Koreans in colonial era

Masuno: Japan began organized activities to deny forcibly mobilizing Koreans in colonial era

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Yang-woo (fifth from left) on July 29 poses with participants of an international forum held at the Seoul Foreign Corresponde...

Jul 29,2020

NGO conducts civilian diplomacy vs. Japan's history distortion

NGO conducts civilian diplomacy vs. Japan's history distortion

Around 4,000 people have signed an online petition uploaded in February this year on Change.org by the Voluntary Agency Network of Korea. The action is intended to protes...

Jul 24,2020

Did Japan keep its promises?

Did Japan keep its promises?

Jul 15,2020

Japanese daily blasts Tokyo center for distorting history

Japanese daily blasts Tokyo center for distorting history

The major Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun on July 9 criticized Japan's Industrial Heritage Information Centre for distorting history in a column titled "Conflict over World ...

Jul 10,2020

[Video] Responding to inaccurate exhibition

[Video] Responding to inaccurate exhibition

KOCIS on June 29 hosted a special talk in Seoul on the history distortion presented in an exhibition at Japan's Industrial Heritage Information Centre, which was recently...

Jul 08,2020

[Video] Reasons for center's history distortion

[Video] Reasons for center's history distortion

KOCIS on June 29 hosted a special talk in Seoul on the history distortion presented in an exhibition at Japan's Industrial Heritage Information Centre, which was recently...

Jul 05,2020

[Video] What happened on Battleship Island?

[Video] What happened on Battleship Island?

KOCIS on June 29 hosted a special talk in Seoul on the history distortion presented in an exhibition at Japan's Industrial Heritage Information Centre, which was recently...

Jul 02,2020

'Tokyo center's history distortion could offer prime opportunity'

'Tokyo center's history distortion could offer prime opportunity'

Seo Kyeong-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University in Seoul, on June 26 said in a Korea.net interview that the exhibition at Japan's Industrial Heritage Informati...

Jul 01,2020