S. KOREA-JAPAN CLASH OVER SADO MINE

[Anchor Lead]

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong spoke on the phone with his Japanese counterpart on Thursday to express protest against Japan's bid to seek a UNESCO World Heritage List designation for the mine on the island of Sado. Each nation has set up a taskforce to tackle the matter. The diplomatic rift between Korea and Japan is escalating.

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​The top diplomats of South Korea and Japan spoke on the phone for the first time since the Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi took office. During their 35-minute conversation, the two clashed over Japan's bid to seek a UNESCO World Heritage List designation for the mine on the Sado island. South Korea's Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong expressed deep frustration and disappointment with Tokyo's refusal to acknowledge the painful history of wartime forced labor on Korean nationals. Chung also urged Japan to faithfully implement follow-up measures that it had promised after inscribing Hashima Island as a World Heritage site in 2015. It included disclosing facts about forced labor and paying tribute to the victims. So far, Tokyo has been dragging its feet. Moreover, it pushed back in response to Seoul's protest. Foreign Minister Hayashi reportedly said Korea's unilateral claim was unacceptable and regrettable. The Korean foreign minister demanded that Tokyo take a more proactive approach when dealing with past issues including wartime forced sexual slavery and labor. Tokyo says Seoul must deal with the issues in a more responsible way. Cheong Wa Dae has vowed to counter Japan's bid to list the Sado mine as a World Heritage site in a systematic and broad way by cooperating with the international community. On Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs convened the first meeting of its taskforce consisting of experts from the public and private sectors.

[Soundbite] Choi Young-sam(Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs) : "We will seek expert advice and close collaboration among the relevant institutions to thoroughly prepare and analyze materials needed for negotiations."

Tokyo also held its first meeting of its own taskforce on Feb. 1. The final decision on the UNESCO inscription is expected in June 2023 at the earliest.