South Korea’s anger over Japanese mine event clouds efforts to deepen security ties

President Yoon Suk-yeol has boycotted the mine’s commemoration in Japan, purportedly over Tokyo’s failure to recognise forced Korean workers

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Mayor of Sado City Ryugo Watanabe speaks during a memorial ceremony for the Sado mine in Sado, Niigata prefecture, on Sunday. Photo: AP

Published: 8:00am, 29 Nov 2024

Seoul’s efforts to improve ties with Tokyo have hit a snag over a commemoration of Korean victims of Japan’s colonial past.

Observers warn that the bilateral tensions come at a critical time when South Korea and Japan need closer cooperation to address global challenges, including the coming return of the Donald Trump administration and its impact on regional security.

In a rare public display of discord with Tokyo, South Korea’s conservative government of President Yoon Suk-yeol on Sunday boycotted the first memorial service for Korean wartime labourers at the Sado gold mine in Japan, recently registered as a Unesco World Heritage site.

“This is a blow to the Yoon administration, which has worked hard to mend ties with Tokyo despite facing political backlash,” said Cho Byung-jae, a veteran diplomat and former head of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy.

“At a time when Yoon’s approval ratings are low, this diplomatic misstep could further hinder progress in relations with Tokyo and trilateral security cooperation with the United States,” Cho told This Week in Asia.

The ruins of the Aikawa Gold and Silver Mine in Sado on Sado Island, Japan. Photo: Kyodo via Reuters

Critics argue that Japan mishandled the memorial, failing to acknowledge Korean labourers were forced to work at the Sado mine during its colonial rule of the Korean peninsula (1910–1945).