79 years since the Ukishima Maru incident: Full release of passenger list essential to uncovering the truth

On the 24th of this month, 79 years after the Ukishima Maru incident that occurred in Maizuru Bay, Kyoto on August 24, 1945, just after the end of the Pacific War, a memorial service for the victims was held in Maizuru City.
The ship exploded and sank. Many of the Korean Peninsula former member workers on board were killed. A memorial service was held in front of the "Martyrs' Monument" in Shimosabaga, Maizuru City, with about 250 people from the community attending to pay their respects to the victims.
The cause of the accident and the exact number of people on board are still unknown, but this spring it was revealed that the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare does have a list of passengers, which the Japanese government had for many years said "did not exist."
Three of these documents were disclosed in response to a journalist's request for disclosure of information. However, due to privacy reasons, names and other details were masked, and there was little information that could lead to the discovery of the truth.
On that day, Shigeru Shinada, chairman of the Maizuru City civic group "Commemorating the Ukishima Maru Martyrs," which organized the event, called for the complete disclosure of the list held by the government.
On the night of August 22, 1945, the former navy transport ship Ukishima Maru carried out a ferry of Korean laborers who were engaged in railroad construction work in the Shimokita Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture.
The ship departed from Ominato in Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture, carrying workers and their families, and was heading for Busan, South Korea, when it suddenly exploded and sank on the 24th in Maizuru Bay off the coast of Shimosabaga, Maizuru City, where it had docked.
According to Japanese reports, 524 Koreans and 25 Japanese died. However, survivors and relatives of the victims claim that the death toll is in the thousands.
The remains that have not been removed are still there today. This incident was not initially reported in Japan, but was brought to light the following month by South Korean media.
The cause of the Ukishima Maru explosion is believed to be a mine laid by the U.S. military, but the exact cause is unknown.
In 1992, 80 Korean survivors and bereaved families filed a class action lawsuit against the Japanese government, seeking approximately 2.8 billion yen in compensation, but in November 2004, the Supreme Court's Third Petty Bench ruled in favor of the plaintiffs.
The Osaka High Court ruled in May 2003 to dismiss the lawsuit, resulting in a complete defeat for the plaintiffs.
The memorial monument was erected by the "Community for the Commemoration of the Martyrs of Japan." The association holds a memorial gathering at the same place every year. This year's memorial gathering, held on the 24th of this month, was attended by about 250 people, including Japanese and Korean citizens and Korean residents of Japan.
They observed a moment of silence for the victims and laid flowers at the memorial. Chairman Shigeru Shinada said, "It still pains me to think of the sadness and regret of those who died and their families who were waiting for them to return home.
I would like to think and discuss with people all over the world what we can do to prevent these things from happening, and raise my voice for peace," he said in his opening remarks.
In response to a journalist's request for information disclosure in May of this year, the government released the names of the passengers on board.
The records were made public for the first time. [1] "Passenger List" of the Ominato Naval Facilities Department in Aomori Prefecture (2,429 people, August 24, 1945) [2] "Report on the Passenger List" of the 4th Unit Commander of the Ominato Naval Facilities Department (333 people,
August 19, 1945) [3] Three documents from the Nippon Express Ominato branch's "List of Koreans aboard the Ukishima Maru" (144 people, August 22, 1945) were made public, but the names of individuals had been blacked out.
Only a portion of the list has been released, with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare explaining in May that there are "approximately 70 documents" that can be described as "lists" of passengers and others.
With the existence of the list now known, the remains of wartime mobilization victims are being sought to be returned.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety of South Korea, which is responsible for the matter, requested the Japanese side to provide related materials through the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ukishima Maru incident is still shrouded in mystery.
At a memorial service on the 24th, the government pointed out, "79 years have passed, but the number of passengers, the number of casualties, and the cause of the explosion have not been clarified, and the remains remain in Japan. The responsibility to resolve this lies with Japan and the Japanese people."
They called on the government to fully disclose the list of passengers it holds and to provide it to the families of the deceased as soon as possible.