Japanese slave labour before and during World War II

This video from South Korea says about itself:

Korea slams Japan for seeking UNESCO listing for sites of forced labor

31 March 2015

Korea has slammed Japan for its attempts to list its Meiji industrial facilities as a world heritage site.

That′s because the facilities were the sites where many Koreans were forced to work under Japan′s colonial rule in the early 1900s.

Hwang Sung-hee reports.

Korea has reiterated its opposition to the possible listing of a group of Japanese industrial facilities on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Seoul′s foreign ministry said Tuesday that the Meiji Industrial sites，where tens of thousands of Koreans were forced to work under Japanese rule in the early 1900s，should not be recognized as intangible cultural assets.

″To list these facilities， with their painful history of forced labor for Koreans under Japan′s colonial rule， as a world heritage site does not correspond with the discipline and purpose of UNESCO.″

From daily The Morning Star in Britain:

China: Japan pressed to highlight historic slave labour sites

Tuesday 7th July 2015

CHINA called for openness about war crimes committed during World War II yesterday, after Unesco declared several former Japanese slave labour factories as world heritage sites.

The 23 historic sites, which were part of Japan’s transformation from a feudal society to an industrialised imperial power, are controversial for their use of Chinese and Korean civilians and allied prisoners as forced labour during the war.

Some of those who endured starvation, abuse by their captors and bombardment are still seeking compensation, or at least an apology.

South Korea portrayed the decision as a victory after Japan agreed to acknowledge the crimes.

But China’s Unesco ambassador Zhang Xiuqin said: “There still lacks an adequate account from Japan of the whole facts surrounding the use of forced labour.”

She urged Japan to ensure that “the sufferings of each and every one of the forced laborers are remembered, and their dignity upheld.”