S. Korea snubs Japan memorial event at controversial mine

South Korea held a memorial event in Japan on Nov 25 for its labourers forced to work at a controversial mine during World War II, after boycotting one organised by Tokyo, highlighting lingering sensitivities between the neighbours.

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Both key US regional allies, Seoul and Tokyo have seen ties generally improve in recent years, as they sought to put aside acrimonious diplomatic and trade disputes tied to Japan's 1910-1945 colonisation of the Korean peninsula.

Seoul's decision not to attend the Nov 24 official event at the Sado mine followed reports that the Japanese government would be represented by an official who had visited a shrine some neighbours see as a symbol of the nation's militarist past.

The governments could not resolve their differences in time, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said in a television interview on Nov 23, but he added that the incident should not damage improved ties under South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.