September 11, 2026

South Korea will not attend a memorial ceremony to be hosted by Japan on Saturday at the Sado Island Gold Mines, a UNESCO World Heritage site associated with victims of wartime forced labor from the Korean Peninsula, according to the South Korean Foreign Ministry.

Seoul's decision marks a three-year boycott over a disagreement with Tokyo over how victims from the Korean Peninsula should be remembered and honored, Yonhap News Agency reported on Wednesday.

"We had continued serious consultations with Japan to ensure that this year's ceremony could be held in a complete and proper manner, but decided not to attend after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on key points," Yonhap reported, citing a ministry release.

Read more:

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202609/11/WS6aa36187e4b06d4aa055d83f.html