This supplement to a brochure of the Aikawa History Museum in Niigata, Japan, provides information on exhibitions related to workers at the Sado gold mines. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

By Charles Audouin

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee says the interpretive materials and exhibits at Japan's Sado gold mines must accurately reflect the World Heritage site's "whole history," including about the Koreans were forced to work there before and during World War II.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, according to domestic news outlets, the committee on July 23 by consensus adopted a resolution to that effect at its annual session in Busan without revision or discussion.

The draft of the resolution on July 14 released by the committee contained a recommendation on clarifying the interpretation and presentation strategy and exhibition facilities to cover the entire history of the mines throughout all periods. The committee said a clear explanation is required to ensure that the Aikawa History Museum at the site fully reflects the mines' entire history.

The whole history mentioned includes historical accounts of Koreans forced to work at the mines during Japanese colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. UNESCO designated Sado a World Heritage site in 2024.

The committee confirmed that the museum's exhibition includes some content on such workers, but that "the information provided remains limited in terms of assessing how effectively the property's 'whole history' throughout all periods is conveyed at the site level."

For that reason, the committee recommended comprehensive coverage of the whole history of the mine throughout its operational period at the site level, as well as close consultations with relevant stakeholders to improve interpretation, exhibition strategies and facilities.

The committee ordered Japan to submit by Dec. 1 next year a report on implementation of the recommendations to the World Heritage Center, and will check progress on this at the annual session in 2028.

caudouin@korea.kr