Key Facts
• Sado Island Gold Mine was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2024.
• South Korea opposed the registration, citing forced labor of Korean workers.
• Japan decided to hold memorial ceremonies for all workers at the site.
• On September 13, 2025, a ceremony was held in Sado City with about 70 attendees.
• South Korea did not attend, citing disagreements over the expression of forced labor.
• This marks the second consecutive year of South Korea’s absence.
Summary
A memorial ceremony for workers of the Sado Island Gold Mine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2024, was held on September 13, 2025, in Sado City, Japan. Approximately 70 people, including the mayor, attended. South Korea, which has opposed the site’s registration due to claims of forced labor involving Korean workers, did not participate for the second year in a row. The absence was attributed to unresolved disagreements over the acknowledgment of forced labor in the memorial’s wording.
