The Korean National Commission for UNESCO has urged the Japanese government to fulfill its promise regarding dozens of world heritage sites that were used for Japan’s wartime forced labor policy against Koreans. 

The Seoul-based commission on Friday posted a video clip on its website pointing out Tokyo’s lack of action on its pledge to commemorate forced labor victims at some of the 23 industrial facilities that were collectively granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 2015.

The four-minute video stressed the status was granted based on the international community’s trust that the Japanese government would follow through with its promise, adding Tokyo needs to answer the call now. 

Japan had promised to open information centers at seven of the sites to acknowledge that forced labor occurred there, including on Hashima Island, also known as Battleship Island, where Koreans were forced to work in coal mines, and to commemorate those who lost their lives.

In its first post-inscription report to UNESCO in 2017, the Japanese government omitted the expression of forced labor, only saying there had been Korean workers who provided “support” to industrial activity on Hashima. 

Japan’s second report, submitted last year, made no mention of the specific measures it promised.