A South Korean foreign ministry official has indicated that the country is expected to agree to the listing of a group of gold and silver mines on Sado Island in the Sea of Japan as a World Cultural Heritage site.
The official reportedly told South Korean media on Friday that South Korea and Japan are close to reaching a deal on the issue. The official said it is likely that the Sado mines will be listed as a World Heritage site unless something extraordinary happens.
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee is meeting in New Delhi, India, to discuss new listing proposals. Japan had recommended to UNESCO that the mines on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture be registered as a World Cultural Heritage site.
But South Korea opposed registering the Sado mines, saying people from the Korean Peninsula were forced to work there. Japan and South Korea have been discussing the issue.
The members of the World Heritage Committee will discuss whether to list the Sado mines on Saturday. New listings are typically made by a unanimous decision. South Korea is one of the committee members.