Japan, South Korea agree to cooperate over remains from undersea mine

Senior Japanese and South Korean diplomats have agreed to work closely together for the return to South Korea of human remains recovered from an undersea coal mine in western Japan, where fatal flooding occurred during World War II.

The two countries will continue cooperation on DNA analysis.

The agreement was reached at a strategic dialogue held between the two countries’ vice foreign ministers in the town of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, on Monday. This was the first such dialogue in about a year.

Workers from the Korean Peninsula were among victims of the 1942 flooding at the Chosei coal mine in the city of Ube in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

At the dialogue, Vice Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi and South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoonjoo also exchanged views on North Korea’s movements, including its relations with China and Russia.

They reaffirmed continued cooperation for resolving North Korea’s nuclear program and its abductions of foreign nationals, including Japanese citizens.

Funakoshi and Park also confirmed that diplomatic authorities of Japan and South Korea will communicate closely for the stable development of the two countries’ relations.