By Efe Ozkan
ISTANBUL (AA) - South Korea on Monday held its own memorial honoring World War II-era forced laborers at the Sado gold mines after boycotting the Japan-hosted event due to its “insincerity.”
Foreign Ministry officials from Seoul and nine family members and relatives of the victims gathered at a site that used to be a lodging for Korean forced laborers, near the Sado gold and silver mines, according to Yonhap News Agency.
"I bow my head and express my deepest condolences to the souls of the Korean workers who were forcibly mobilized to the Sado mine 80 years ago," South Korean Ambassador to Japan Park Cheol-hee said in a memorial address.
The mines were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site earlier this year after Tokyo and Seoul settled a years-long dispute.
South Korea’s absence, however, is viewed as a setback in the two nations’ efforts to mend ties, which have improved recently through US-led security cooperation against China and North Korea.
Japan expressed regret over South Korea’s decision, with its embassy in Seoul noting that both sides had engaged in “polite communication” but said it was “unfortunate” that Seoul chose not to participate in Sunday’s event.
The Sado mines, located off Japan’s northern coast, were once the world’s largest gold producer, operating for nearly 400 years before closing in 1989.
Many Koreans were taken to toil at the Sado gold and silver mines during World War II when Korea was under Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule.