The Asahi Shimbun reported on its front page that in August 2025, the city of Ube in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, found what are suspected to be the remains of Korean laborers forcibly conscripted during World War II in the sea area of the former Nagasaki Coal Mine. The investigation, led by a civilian group, revealed the tragedy of laborers under colonial history.
On August 26, 2025, the Japanese civilian group "Hikari Kai" announced that they had recovered three limb bones and one skull from the sea area, which are speculated to be the remains of victims of a mine disaster in 1942, mostly Korean laborers (136 people) and Japanese laborers (47 people).
The remains have been handed over to the police for scientific identification. If confirmed, it will be the first time human remains clearly associated with this event have been found underwater.
In February 1942, a collapse of a shaft at the Nagasaki Coal Mine caused seawater to flood in, resulting in the death of all 183 workers. During World War II, Japan conscripted hundreds of thousands of Korean laborers to fill labor shortages, and this incident has long been downplayed.
In 1991, a citizens' group began an independent investigation and initiated the search for remains, but the Japanese government refused to provide financial support or formal compensation, citing the 1965 Japan-South Korea Basic Treaty.
The discovery coincided with a period of improvement in Japan-South Korea relations, as both governments recently emphasized cooperation, but historical issues remain contentious.
The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has refused to fund the search, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Fumio expressed condolences but stated that "there is a lack of safe search technology."
The representative of the group, Ito Hiromi, said she had waited for many years and called for facing history, and the next plan is to expand the search area.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841615444112396/
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