The Korea Herald

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S. Korea, Japan to hold talks over UNESCO world heritage next week

By 박한나

Published : June 6, 2015 - 13:10

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South Korea and Japan have agreed to hold a second round of talks next week to resolve a row over Tokyo's push to win world heritage status for industrial facilities linked to wartime Korean slave labor, the Seoul government said Saturday.

Japan has applied to list a package of 23 coal mines, shipyards and other early industrial zones as UNESCO world heritage sites.

South Korea is strongly against the bid as the facilities include seven sites where nearly 60,000 Koreans were forced to work during World War II. Japan colonized Korea from 1910-45.

Seoul and Tokyo had their first meeting on May 22 in Tokyo, which ended without a notable outcome.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the follow-up talks will be held in Seoul on Tuesday.

Choi Jong-moon, South Korean ambassador for cultural and UNESCO affairs, will again head the delegation, while Jun Shimmi, the Japanese foreign ministry's director-general for cultural affairs, will represents his country, according to the ministry. (Yonhap)