South Korea has failed in its attempt to formally address Japan’s failure to fulfill its pledge regarding the forced labor site of Hashima Island at UNESCO.

During a session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris on Monday, the committee held a rare vote on whether to include the issue on its official agenda.

South Korea had proposed adding the item to review Japan’s insufficient measures in addressing wartime forced labor at its UNESCO-listed heritage sites.

Japan opposed the move and submitted a revised proposal that excluded Seoul’s agenda item, arguing that the issue should be addressed bilaterally rather than at the committee level.

In the secret ballot among 21 committee members, seven voted in favor of Japan’s position, while only three supported South Korea’s proposal.

South Korea’s foreign ministry expressed regret over the outcome. 

In 2015, when Japan’s Meiji-era industrial sites, including Hashima Island, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, Japan pledged to take measures to remember the victims of wartime forced labor and to present the full historical context.

However, South Korea maintains that Japan has not taken sufficient steps to uphold those commitments.