Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said he expects Japan to sincerely implement its follow-up measures on the history of forced Korean laborers at the Sado mine.

During a press conference held after the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Saturday, Cho expressed hope that Japan will continue to show its sincerity by closely communicating with the South Korean government regarding the exhibits to be installed at the UNESCO heritage site, as well other follow-up measures, such as memorial ceremonies.

The foreign minister said that Japan's measures, such as installing exhibits related to forced labor, were results of Seoul's persistent efforts to resolve the issue through mutual agreement rather than confrontation, based on lessons learned in 2015.

In 2015, Japan registered the controversial Hashima Island as a UNESCO heritage while promising to include the "entire history" of the site, including the forced labor of Korea, but has not kept its word yet.

A high-ranking official at Seoul's foreign ministry said that the government's goal was not to unconditionally oppose the registration, but to accurately record and reflect on the dark and painful history.