1. The Government of the Republic of Korea expresses its strong protest over the fact that the contents of the exhibition at Japan’s Industrial Heritage Information Centre in Tokyo, which was made public on June 15, show that the Japanese Government neither implemented the recommendation made by the World Heritage Committee (WHC) nor took the follow-up measures that it promised when the Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution were inscribed on the World Heritage List in July 2015.

 
o The Japanese Government had pledged that as a concrete follow-up measure to implement the WHC recommendation, it would take measures that allow an understanding that there were a large number of Koreans and others who were brought against their will and forced to work under harsh conditions, a fact which Japan itself acknowledged. However, it is with great regret that we note that the Centre exhibits contents that directly contradict the commitment made by the Government of Japan and completely distort historical facts.

o In particular, the Japanese Government had promised to establish information center as a measure to remember the victims who were forced to work. It is deeply concerning and disappointing that no efforts to pay tribute to the victims are evident at the newly opened Centre.

2. The ROK Government once again sternly urges Japan to sincerely fulfill the promise that it made to the ROK and the international community at the time of inscription and to strictly adhere to the WHC Decision in which the Committee recommended that Japan take measures to allow an understanding of the full history of each site.