November 12, 2024 08:29 History Society
Japanese authorities led the collection of remains.
On February 3, 1942, during the Pacific War, a submergence accident occurred at the Josei Coal Mine, an undersea coal mine in Uguchi, Yamaguji Prefecture, Japan, and 183 people, including 136 Koreans working in the mine, were killed. As the movement to uncover the truth by citizens is accelerating, such as with the discovery of the shaft in September of this year, the civic group at the center of the activity, the “Meeting to Engrave the Water Emergency of the Josei Coal Mine” (Meeting to Engrave into History), held a meeting on the 6th. I met with officials from the provincial government and foreign affairs provinces. The carving group urged the Japanese authorities to take the lead in resolving the problem, including conducting an investigation into the pit and collecting remains.
The meeting was attended by the co-representative of the Engraving Association, and officials from the People’s Road Research Center (in charge of the People’s Road Research and Development Department) and the Foreign Affairs Province responded. In addition, a representative from the Japanese Business and Citizens’ Association was present.
After the meeting, a press conference was held in Tokyo.
According to the interview, the Saegi group explained that the situation had changed significantly from the time of the government negotiations in December of last year, such as the shaft being opened and two diving investigations were conducted in the stone statue they visited. At the same time, they repeatedly requested that the Japanese authorities lead the collection of human remains, and allocated an annual budget of approximately 10 million yen set by the Ministry of Human Resources Development for the “return of the remains of those from the Korean peninsula who were conscripted during wartime.” It was urged that the cost of collecting the remains be covered.
At the press conference, the Prime Minister’s press conference (on the 5th), in which the Josei Coal Mine flood accident was mentioned, was also mentioned. Co-representative Isang strongly criticized Fukuoka University for explaining that the Japanese authorities had no intention of investigating, citing the reasons that it was difficult to pinpoint the location of the remains, that they were mixed with the remains of Japanese people, and that the safety of the mine shaft had not been confirmed.
At this interview, Fukuoka University mentioned the agreement reached at the Japan-Korea consultations in 2005 (to conduct an investigation on related information by directly going to temples where the location of the remains was revealed) and that the on-site investigation by the state was conducted from a “diplomatic perspective.” He explained that he was doing it. At the same time, he expressed the position that “it is difficult at present to investigate and collect the remains of people who did not die in World War II (Japanese authorities describe them as war dead),” including those at Josei Coal Mine.
At the interview, questions related to this were asked.
Co-representative Lee Sang dismissed it, saying, “The term ‘war aggressor’ is a concept created by the Japanese government by drawing lines at will.” A member of the Daejeon Conference who was present also said that he would change the perception of the country, saying, “Koreans who were forced to work during the war can also be called fighters.”
Jeong Bo-mi, who attended the interview with the engraving group, is the great-grandson of Kwon Do-moon (age 45), who died at the Josei Coal Mine. Jeong Bo-mi expressed her gratitude and appealed for the need for social attention, saying that the activities of the engraving group were not only helping the victims mourn, but also restoring the bereaved families’ self-esteem.
According to the carving group, in the diving investigation conducted on October 29th and 30th, it advanced about 200 m after diving. It is said that there is a high possibility that the remains can be found about 100 meters away. The next dive survey is scheduled to take place from January 31 to February 2 next year.
Neglected victims of Joseon
At the press conference that day, most of the questions asked by attendees were about the Japanese and Korean authorities’ response to this issue and the demands of civic groups. A reporter also said, “We are not yet able to think of an approach to Joseon.”
In 1942, when the flooding accident occurred, numerous workers from all over the Korean Peninsula, which was a Japanese colony at the time, were forcibly taken to Japan and conscripted. Against this historical background, workers from the southern part of the Korean peninsula, including Gyeongsang-do, Chungcheong-do, Jeolla-do, and Gangwon-do, as well as workers from Pyeongan-do, the northern part of the Korean peninsula, were sacrificed at Josei Coal Mine.
In relation to this, Representative Ijang said, “We are looking for ways to approach North Korea in the current difficult situation,” and added, “We are working hard to resolve the resentment of not only the victims from the southern part of the Korean peninsula, but also the victims from the northern part of the peninsula and their bereaved families in Joseon.” “I’m going out,” he said.
(Reporter Han Hyeon-ju)
