「軍艦島」取り消し、検討要請　韓国外相、ユネスコに書簡

　【ソウル時事】長崎・軍艦島など国連教育科学文化機関（ユネスコ）の世界文化遺産に登録された「明治日本の産業革命遺産」をめぐり、韓国外務省報道官は２３日、康京和外相がユネスコのアズレ事務局長に対し、登録取り消しの検討を求める書簡を送ったと発表した。
　書簡送付は２２日付。報道官は２３日の記者会見で、書簡を通じて「登録取り消しの可能性の検討を含め、世界遺産委員会で日本に（約束した）措置の履行を求める決定文が採択されるよう協力と支持を要請した」と明らかにした。
　報道官はまた、「日本が約束した措置を忠実に履行するためのあらゆる可能な方策を講じる」と強調。世界遺産委員国を対象に、「この事案への関心と理解を高める外交的努力を展開していく」意向を示した。（2020/06/23-18:52）

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has sent a letter to UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay to ask the U.N. organization to consider removing industrial revolution sites in Japan from its World Heritage list, a South Korean Foreign Ministry press secretary said Tuesday.
   The sites, given World Heritage status in 2015, include now-defunct coal-mining facilities on the island of Hashima, commonly known as "Gunkanjima" (battleship island), in Nagasaki Prefecture, southwestern Japan.
   South Korea initially opposed the registration, pointing to the history of people from the Korean Peninsula being forced to work at some of the sites. But it eventually gave its consent after Japan promised to establish an information center on the situation at the industrial revolution sites at the time.
   In the letter sent on Monday, Kang asked the UNESCO chief to consider the possibility of canceling the World Heritage designation for the Japanese sites and called for UNESCO's support and cooperation to ensure that a document urging Japan to implement its pledged measure will be adopted at the World Heritage Committee, the press secretary said.
   The press secretary also said that South Korea will take all possible measures to urge Japan to fulfill its pledge in good faith and will step up diplomatic efforts to win attention and understanding from World Heritage Committee member countries over the matter.