February 4, 2025

This month marks 83 years since an underwater coal mine disaster in Yamaguchi’s Ube City in 1942 that killed 183 workers, including 136 Korean workers most of whom were forcibly conscripted from the Korean Peninsula. None of the remains of the victims have been recovered.

On February 1, a rally in memory of the victims took place in front of a memorial monument located near the former site of the Chosei undersea coal mine with about 400 people participating.

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira, JCP member of the House of Councilors Nihi Sohei, JCP member of the former Lower House Ohira Yoshimobu, and JCP Yamaguchi Prefectural Assembly person Fujimoto Kazunori took part in the rally along with lawmakers of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Social Democratic Party.

Among the 400 participants were government representatives and 100 people from South Korea. This was the first time that the South Korean government had its representatives attend the annual event. Deputy Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety Kim Min-jae said that the ROK government will do its best to ensure that the remains return to their hometowns and families as soon as possible.

On the other hand, the Japanese government did not send either its representative or a message to the memorial rally. Only officials of the Yamaguchi prefectural and Ube City authorities attended the rally.

Earlier on the day, Japanese parliamentarians met with a South Korean group of bereaved families of the victims.

The bereaved families’ group called for joint efforts by the Japanese and South Korean governments to realize an early return of the Korean victims’ remains. In response, JCP Koike said that it is the Japanese government’s responsibility to fulfill their demand. Stating that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the war’s end and the 60th anniversary of the Japan-South Korea diplomatic normalization, Koike expressed his determination to work hard to put pressure on the Japanese government so that the victims’ remains will be returned to their families.

Past related article:
> JCP Koike demands exhumation of remains of 1942 undersea coal-mine accident victims [December 5, 2024]