Prof. Yuji Hosaka of Sejong University.

Broadcaster Jung Jae-hwan emceed a special talk show on the specific problems with the center. The program was filmed at the studio of Korea.net on June 29.

Prof. Hosaka said the Japanese government failed to make good on a promise it made to international society registering Japan’s 23 Meji Industrial  Revolution site facilities, including the island, on the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 
He examined the Japanese government’s about-face and its intention behind the broken promises, despite criticisms from international society. He explained the background of the location of the center in Tokyo, not Nagasaki, where Hashima is located.

Han examined the tragedy of Koreans forced to work by Japan in his novel “Battleship Island.” He explained historical distortions of the exhibits on display at the center. In 2016, the writer published the novel “Battleship Island,” depicting hardships Korean forced laborers had suffered during Japanese colonial rule of Korea.

Chung shared the experiences he witnessed in person of Korean victims. He published the book “Historical Journey to Kyushu” in which he candidly recorded what he saw and felt while touring historical sites on Korean-Japanese ties. At that time, he toured the island.

Director Kim Chul-min of the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS)  said, “The talk show was arranged to reveal the historical distortions of the exhibits on display at the Industrial Heritage Information Center.”

Prof. Hosaka contributed an article on the problems of the center to the U.S. diplomacy journal “The Diplomat, which was carried on June 25. 

In the column, Prof. Hosaka said Japan should not ignore the testimonies made by numerous Korean victims who had endured severe discrimination on the island.

An aerial view of Hashima Coal Mine Island. (Photos: KOCIS)