The foreign ministry said it will oppose the possible registration of Japan's controversial Sado mines as a UNESCO World Heritage site, unless Tokyo accepts Seoul's demand that it reflects the entire history of the mines, including the forced labor Koreans endured there.

An official at the ministry said on Friday that while the World Heritage Committee generally makes decisions by consensus, a vote could be conducted upon opposition from any of the 21 member nations.

The official, however, said Seoul will continue to consult with Tokyo to avoid having to go to such lengths as a confrontational situation between the states could undermine the committee's overall practice and atmosphere.

Following a UNESCO advisory panel's recommended referral of the Sado mines nomination to Tokyo for an explanation on the forced labor, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi pledged to sincerely and respectfully discuss the matter with South Korea.

The UNESCO committee is expected to make a final decision on the registration at a meeting in New Delhi, India next month.