South Korea's presidential office has called for Japan's annual ceremony commemorating victims of wartime forced labor at the UNESCO-listed Sado mines to be conducted in a manner that properly reflects its intended purpose.

The statement, issued Saturday by an official from the presidential office, came after this year's ceremony in Niigata Prefecture made no mention of the forced labor of Koreans during Japan's colonial rule.

The official noted that Seoul will continue consultations with Tokyo in line with its position on the matter.

Although a satisfactory outcome was not achieved this year, the official added that bilateral cooperation, particularly on historical issues, could be enhanced through mutual trust and understanding.

During UNESCO's review of the Sado mines' World Heritage listing last year, Tokyo pledged to hold annual memorial ceremonies honoring both Korean and Japanese laborers.

However, the latest ceremony once again failed to acknowledge that many of the workers were subjected to forced labor during the colonial era.