Was Forced Labor Used In Aso Coal Mine?

It was confirmed yesterday that the Korean government asked Japanese authorities to hand over reports on Korean forced labor at the Aso Coal Mine, the family business of Japan’s current Minister of Foreign Affairs Taro Aso.

The request took place at a conference between Korea and Japan dealing with the examination of the remains of Koreans victimized by Japanese forced labor.

An official from the “Truth Commission on Forced Mobilization Under the Japanese Rule of the Republic of Korea,” said, “At the third conference of the Korea-Japan Committee for the Examination of Human Remains held in Seoul for two days starting November 28, the Korean delegation requested reports concerning Korean forced labor to the Aso coal mines, along with an examination request on the remains of the victims.”

The Aso Coal Mine, which started off as Aso Industries, was founded by Minister Aso’s great-grandfather Aso Takici, and was continued on as a family business into Minister Aso’s Aso Cement Company.

Jung-Ahn Kim credo@donga.com