During World War II, Japan’s efforts to secure more manpower resulted in the forced enlistment of countless Koreans. The Japanese government forcibly mobilized over 8-million Koreans by drafting various orders and conscription laws between 1941 and 1944. The conscripted Koreans were forced to labor under brutal working conditions in coal mines, metal mines, construction sites and armament factories.
In July 2015, the Japanese government registered 23 of its early industrial facilities on the UNESCO World Heritage List and denied the facilities’ use of “forced labor” of Koreans, resulting in criticism from Korea, the global community and even from Japanese media.

Labor records kept by a labor relations manager at a Japanese company at the time

The document shows that a large number of forced laborers fled due to the harsh treatment.

Number of Forced Laborers : 1,963
Number of Escapees : 1,125
Number of Deaths : 9

List of forced laborers in the Fukuoka area compiled by the Fukuoka Prefecture Police

Aso Coal Mine – Number of Forced Laborers : 7,996, Number of Escapees : 4,919
Mitsubishi – Number of Forced Laborers : 3,127, Number of Escapees : 1,641
Fukuoka Region – Number of Forced Laborers : 113,061, Number of Escapees : 58,471