During a Supreme Council meeting on Monday, Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, criticized the South Korean government for allowing a Japanese gold mine, linked to Korea's wartime forced labor, to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. He expressed concern that this move, which endorses Japan's distortion of its war crimes, raises doubts about whether the government is truly representing Korean interests or is under Japan's colonial rule. He pledged to conduct an investigation to hold those responsible for what he described as a diplomatic "disaster." The controversial Sado mine, where an estimated 2,000 Koreans were forcibly mobilized to work under harsh conditions during World War II, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list after South Korea initially opposed Japan's bid but later gave last-minute consent on the condition that Japan accurately portrays the entire history of the mine, including its dark side. This decision came after the International Council on Monuments and Sites recommended referring the nomination of the Sado mine back to Japan, citing the need for a more comprehensive explanation of its history, particularly the period during which war atrocities were committed. Japan has since taken steps to address this, including installing new exhibits at the mine site to commemorate the harsh working conditions and committing to hold annual memorial services for the mine workers.