Japanese Transport Ship Carrying Korean Residents in Japan Immediately After Liberation
Japan Claimed Loss of Records but Recently Released Three Lists
Victims and Families Allege Japan's 'Deliberate Explosion' Claim
The South Korean government has reportedly requested the Japanese government to provide the passenger list of the 145-year-old Ukishimamaru (hereinafter Ukishima) ship sinking incident, in which thousands of Koreans are known to have perished, according to Japanese media reports.
According to a report by the Tokyo Shimbun on the 22nd, a South Korean Ministry of the Interior and Safety official responsible for repatriating the remains of victims of forced labor under Japanese colonial rule stated, "We have requested the relevant materials from the Japanese side through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs." A South Korean Foreign Ministry official also said, "We are making efforts to obtain the recently confirmed passenger list of the Ukishima ship," adding, "We will strive to ensure that the Japanese government takes responsible and sincere measures, including uncovering the truth of the incident."
Until now, the Japanese government claimed that the passenger list was lost due to the sinking of the Ukishima ship but recently disclosed three passenger lists in response to an information disclosure request. In response, Masahisa Miyazaki, Vice Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, said, "There are about 70 documents named 'passenger lists' and others, and we will investigate them thoroughly and respond accordingly." Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa did not clearly state whether copies of the lists would be provided to the South Korean government.
The Ukishima ship was a Japanese naval transport vessel carrying Koreans residing in Japan who were trying to return home immediately after liberation in 1945, heading to Busan. On August 22, 1945, it departed from Ominato Port in Aomori Prefecture and was scheduled to call at Maizuru Port in Kyoto two days later on the 24th, but an explosion occurred in the lower part of the hull, causing it to sink.
Japan announced that the Ukishima ship struck an underwater mine and sank, with 524 out of approximately 3,700 passengers perishing. However, the bereaved families claim that Japan deliberately blew up the ship and that more than 3,000 of the 7,500 to 8,000 passengers died.
The Japanese side did not raise the hull or recover remains for several years after the accident, fueling suspicions.
Survivors and bereaved families filed a lawsuit in a Japanese court in 1992, citing the Japanese government's breach of safety management obligations, but the loss was confirmed in 2004.
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