South Korea suddenly withdraws from ”Sado Island Gold Mine” memorial service - was this due to misinformation from some Japanese media?

In connection with the "Sado Island Gold Mine" in Sado City, Niigata Prefecture, which was registered as a World Heritage Site in July this year, a memorial event for all workers, including former members of the Korean Peninsula, who died in the gold mine, will be held on the 24th of this month.
It was the first time that the memorial service was held in the city. The memorial service was organized by an executive committee made up of local governments and civic groups, and was attended by about 70 people. Meanwhile, Korean government officials and Korean bereaved families are also scheduled to attend the memorial service.
Prior to the ceremony, it was reported in South Korea that Akiko Ikuina, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, who attended as a representative of the Japanese government, had visited Yasukuni Shrine in the past.
There was opposition at the meeting, and it is possible that the South Korean government decided not to attend. However, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said on the 25th about Ikuina, "The fact that he visited Yasukuni Shrine after taking office as a member of the House of Councillors (in July 2022) is
That same evening, Kyodo News corrected its rumor that an article it had broadcast on Stream both domestically and internationally, stating that Ikuina had visited the shrine on August 15 of that year, was "incorrect reporting." Kyodo said, "There was no impact on Japan-Korea diplomacy.
On the same day, the South Korean government held its own memorial service at the Fourth Sangai Dormitory, a dormitory for Korean workers in the city. In addition to the nine bereaved families, Park Chol-hee, the Japanese embassy in Japan,
About 30 people, including the ambassador, paid their respects. Korean former member workers were mobilized to the Sado Gold Mine to make up for the labor shortage during the war. For this reason, the Korean side initially said that the "Sado Gold Mine" was not worthy of being a World Heritage Site.
He opposed Japan's efforts to register the Korean Peninsula, arguing that it was unjust. If Japan was to aim for registration, he argued that it should reflect the history of Korean Peninsula former member workers who were forced to work in the country. However, he did not agree on whether it was forced labor or not.
There is a discrepancy between Japan and South Korea, and in April 2021, the Japanese government issued a cabinet decision stating that the mobilization of workers from the Korean Peninsula to mainland Japan during the last war "does not constitute forced labor."
Japan has been in behind-the-scenes discussions with the South Korean side and has begun a new exhibit on mine workers, including former members of the Korean peninsula, at an exhibition facility in Sado City.
In response to this, the Korean side accepted the inscription, and at a meeting of the World Heritage Committee held in July,
As a result of the deliberation, the committee members, including South Korea, unanimously decided to register the "Sado Island Gold Mine" as a World Cultural Heritage site. At that time, the representative of the Japanese government said, "We will hold a memorial service for all the workers at the Sado Island Gold Mine."
The memorial service was expected to be held as early as September, but the date has not been decided due to the LDP presidential election and the subsequent House of Representatives election.
The memorial service was finally held on the 24th of this month at the Aikawa Development Center in Sado City. The ceremony was organized by an executive committee made up of Niigata Prefecture, Sado City, and civic groups from the city.
Korean government officials and Korean bereaved families were scheduled to attend the ceremony, but prior to the ceremony, Korean media reported that Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Ikuina, who was attending as a representative of the Japanese government,
It was reported that he visited Yasukuni Shrine, where Class A war criminals from the Korean War are enshrined. The South Korean government announced on the 23rd, the day before the ceremony, that it would not attend.
The ministry did not give details on why it was postponed, saying only that it "determined it would be difficult for both countries to reach an agreement acceptable to them before the memorial service."
Meanwhile, the ceremony was held as scheduled, with about 70 people in attendance. The seats reserved for Korean government officials and Korean bereaved families remained empty.
At the ceremony, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Ikuina mentioned former member workers from the Korean Peninsula, saying, "Among the workers, many came from the Korean Peninsula based on wartime policies, and some of them died." He also spoke of the "World Culture
Now that the site has been registered as a cultural heritage, we must renew our pledge to pass on the history woven by our predecessors to the future.
"I would like to express my deepest condolences to everyone once again," he said. Those involved in the ceremony expressed disappointment and confusion as the South Korean government and bereaved families who had been scheduled to attend canceled their attendance at the last minute.
According to the Niigata Nippo newspaper, Akira Nakano, chairman of the "Sado World Heritage Committee" and executive committee chairman, said, "We wanted (the Korean side) to attend. It's just a shame."
Additionally, according to Niigata Broadcasting, Sado City Mayor Ryugo Watanabe commented, "As a local former member, we have been making preparations and it is truly unfortunate that this has turned out to be the case."
Meanwhile, Yonhap News reported, "The memorial event was organised by the Korean and Japanese governments in order to have the Sado Island Gold Mine registered as a World Heritage Site, and is proceeding smoothly.
"As this is a product of the two countries' relationship, it is possible that this could have a major impact in the future," he said. On the 25th, the South Korean government held its own memorial service at the Fourth Sangai Dormitory in Sado City.
The ceremony was attended by nine family members of Korean workers and Korean Ambassador to Japan Park Cheol-hee. Ambassador Park said, "Behind the history of the Sado mine were the tears and sacrifices of Korean workers, and we will never forget that."
"Both Korea and Japan must make sincere efforts to ensure that this painful history continues to be remembered," he said. Meanwhile, Kyodo News reported that Ikuina will hold a memorial service at Yasukuni Shrine in August 2022.
The government announced that the article that was broadcast domestically and internationally that the Emperor had visited the shrine was incorrect. The government said that it had published the article without consulting the Emperor himself to confirm the facts. According to NHK, a government official said that Kyodo News had made the correction.
"It is regrettable that this could have an impact on Japan-Korea relations," he said. Meanwhile, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, a South Korean Foreign Ministry official said, "The decision not to attend the memorial service was made after taking into consideration various circumstances," and
They explained that the reason for their participation was not just the information that Ikuina had visited Yasukuni Shrine.