Japan and South Korea remained apart over the proposed World Heritage listing of historical industrial sites after holding a second round of talks Tuesday in Seoul, according to meeting participants.
As with the first round of talks, held May 22 in Tokyo, the Japanese side explained the historical value of the sites, while the South Korean side reiterated its opposition and again sought Japan's acknowledgement of the history of conscripted Koreans forced to work at some of the sites.
In the talks at the South Korean Foreign Ministry, Japan was represented by Jun Shimmi, the Foreign Ministry's director general for cultural affairs, and South Korea by Choi Jong-moon, ambassador for cultural and UNESCO affairs.