South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (left) and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi make a joint press assertion following their summit in Nara, Japan, on Jan. 13, 2026. (Kim Tae-hyeong/Hankyoreh)
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reached an settlement Tuesday on humanitarian cooperation on areas regarding historic issues, together with the joint pursuit of DNA testing for the stays of victims of the 1942 Chosei undersea coal mine catastrophe.
The efforts recommend that the 2 sides’ new tack of collaboration on essentially the most approachable of the delicate historic points between them could also be bearing fruit.
Lee shared a concrete rationalization of the settlement on historic issues in a joint press announcement made simply after his summit with Takaichi that day.
“In 1942, there was an accident on the Chosei coal mine in Ube, Japan, through which 183 Koreans and Japanese have been drowned, and their stays have been solely found final August, round 80 years after the actual fact,” he mentioned.
“Our two sides [South Korea and Japan] have agreed to pursue DNA testing to confirm the identities of the victims, and we plan to have working-level discussions between authorities on particular areas,” he added.
Within the joint press announcement that afternoon, Takaichi mentioned, “I additionally welcome the progress being made in Japan-ROK coordination towards cooperation on DNA testing with regard to the stays found on the Chosei coal mine in Ube Metropolis, Yamaguchi Prefecture.”
Whereas South Korea and Japan have held 5 summits since Lee took workplace in June of final 12 months, this represented their leaders’ first settlement but on cooperation in an space associated to their international locations’ shared historical past.
Discussions on historic points weren’t included on the agenda when Lee met with then-Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba throughout a go to to Japan in August.
“Whereas previous discussions on historic points have usually been vertically oriented when it comes to South Korea making victim-centered arguments demanding apologies and compensation from Japan, their emphasis with the Chosei coal mine [disaster] — through which each Korean and Japanese nationals have been drowned — was on humanitarian cooperation for the sake of all victims,” defined Kim Suk-hyun, a senior analysis fellow on the Institute for Nationwide Safety Technique.
“This represents a unique method to historic points [compared with past South Korean administrations],” she noticed.
Throughout the Japanese occupation of Korea, a catastrophe occurred on Feb. 3, 1942, on the Chosei coal mine, which prolonged underneath the ocean from the coastal space of Tokonami in Ube. Seawater leaking into the mine claimed the lives of 136 Koreans and 47 Japanese who have been working there on the time.
After a few of the stays have been unearthed in August, Japanese civic teams known as on the South Korean and Japanese governments to help the method of additional exhumation and verification of surviving members of the family. To this point, the Japanese authorities has shied away from cooperation, citing security issues amongst different issues.
The most recent settlement between leaders suggests the investigation into the Chosei coal mine victims is poised to choose up momentum on either side.
Whereas the mine situation offered the 2 administrations with an entree to discussions on historic points, indicators recommend the 2 sides maintain differing views on its significance.
Lee said, “I believe that it’s significant that now we have been in a position to obtain small however vital progress on historic points by way of this summit.” His remarks indicated that he seen the event as signifying progress on historic issues at a extra basic stage.
In distinction, Takaichi emphasised the importance of the 2 sides’ cooperation, particularly on the difficulty of DNA testing. Observers learn this as an try and forestall the opportunity of discussions increasing to incorporate different historic issues.
On the identical day, the 2 sides pledged to undertake a joint response to deal with transnational crimes corresponding to on-line scams.
By Jang Ye-ji, employees reporter; Hong Seock-jae, Tokyo correspondent
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