South Korea Withdraws from Sado Island Memorial Amid Tensions with Japan

South Korea's government declined to participate in a memorial near Japan's Sado Island Gold Mines due to unresolved issues with Tokyo. These tensions center on past abuses of Korean forced laborers during World War II. Critics argue Seoul lacked assurances from Japan and mismanaged expenses for victims' families.

In a recent development, South Korea announced it will not attend a memorial service near Japan's Sado Island Gold Mines this Sunday. This decision stems from unresolved disputes with Tokyo over the commemorative event, highlighting ongoing tensions related to Korean forced laborers used during World War II.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry issued a statement emphasizing the impossibility of resolving the disagreements in time for the event. However, specific details regarding the points of contention remain undisclosed.

Criticism has surfaced against Seoul's support for the memorial without securing explicit commitments from Japan to address the historical wrongs. Further dissatisfaction was evident regarding the funding of travel expenses for Korean victims' families by the South Korean government.

(With inputs from agencies.)