Kyodo News: "Japanese Representative at Sado Mine Memorial Service 'Yasukuni Visit' Report is False... Deep Apology"

Japan's Kyodo News recently acknowledged that its past report claiming a Japanese government representative visited Yasukuni Shrine in August 2022 in relation to the controversial 'Sado Mine Memorial Ceremony' was incorrect.

On the 25th, Kyodo News published an article titled "Ikui Na's Shrine Visit Report Was a Mistake... Kyodo News Deeply Apologizes."

Sado Mine Aikawatsurushi Gold and Silver Mine (Geum-eun Mountain) Site. Photo by Yonhap News

The news agency stated that although it had reported that Akiko Ikui Na, a member of the House of Councillors and a political official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who represented the Japanese government at the memorial ceremony the previous day, visited Yasukuni Shrine on August 15, 2022, this was judged to be an erroneous report. It added, "Ikui Na denied visiting Yasukuni Shrine, and we investigated the reporting process at that time," explaining, "There was a report that Ikui Na was seen entering the shrine grounds, but the article was published without direct confirmation from her."

The agency also noted, "Several Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers who visited the shrine that day said Ikui Na was not present," concluding that the initial report was mistaken.

Naoto Takahashi, editor-in-chief of Kyodo News, said, "We deeply apologize for causing trouble to Representative Ikui Na, Niigata Prefecture, Sado City, and the memorial ceremony executive committee."

The South Korean government decided on the 23rd, a day before the Sado Mine memorial ceremony, to abruptly boycott the event. It was reported that Ikui Na, the Japanese government representative attending the ceremony, had visited Yasukuni Shrine, where Class A war criminals from the Pacific War are enshrined, and disagreements over the memorial speeches and other matters remained unresolved. The memorial ceremony held the previous day on Sado Island by the Japanese Sado Mine Memorial Ceremony Executive Committee became a 'half-hearted' event, with only Japanese officials attending and no participation from South Korean officials or bereaved families. On the same day, the South Korean government held a separate memorial ceremony near the site of the former Korean dormitory, 'Je4 Sang-aeryo,' close to the Sado Mine on Sado Island, attended by Park Cheol-hee, the South Korean ambassador to Japan, nine bereaved family members, and about 30 others.

Following Kyodo News' correction, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained its reasons for not attending the Sado Mine memorial ceremony. The ministry stated, "An important consideration was that the content of the Japanese side's memorial speeches and other related matters did not meet the level agreed upon when the Sado Mine was registered." This is interpreted as emphasizing that the government's decision to boycott was not limited to the controversy over Ikui Na's visit to Yasukuni Shrine. The ministry further stated, "As we have already made clear, our government's decision to boycott the Japanese memorial ceremony and hold our own memorial event is a firm expression of our government's resolve not to compromise with Japan regarding historical issues."