S. Korean parliament adopts resolution urging UNESCO bid withdrawal for Japan’s Sado mine

South Korea's National Assembly adopted a resolution Thursday urging the withdrawal of Japan's bid to register a former gold mine linked to wartime forced labor as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The resolution regarding Japan's Sado mine was passed unanimously during a plenary session, with all 225 attending members voting in favor. It expressed serious regret over the Japanese government's attempt to list the mine as a World Heritage site while calling for a sincere reflection and responsible attitude toward historical issues from Tokyo. Earlier this month, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, an advisory body to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC), recommended referring the nomination of the Sado mine back to Japan, calling for more explanation over the entire history and the removal of areas developed after the Edo period (1603-1868). In its original submission, Japan limited the mine's timeline specifically to the Edo era, excluding the modern history during which war atrocities were committed by the Japanese Imperial Army. The WHC is scheduled to review 28 new listing proposals, including Sado Mine, in New Delhi from Friday to Monday. Source: Yonhap News Agency