Victims of 1942 Yamaguchi Underwater Mine Disaster Remembered

   Ube, Yamaguchi Pref., Feb. 1 (Jiji Press)--A memorial event for the 183 victims of the 1942 underwater coal mine disaster in Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan, was held on Saturday ahead of the 83rd anniversary of the tragedy.
   Organized by a civic group, the event was held near the former site of the Chosei coal mine and was attended by about 450 people, including bereaved families and government officials from South Korea, as many of the victims were from the Korean Peninsula.
   The 77-year-old head of a group of South Korean bereaved families said that this year is an important year marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and expressed hope that the Japanese government will collect the remains of the victims and send them back to their hometowns.
   Kang Ho-jeung, South Korea's consul-general in Hiroshima Prefecture, east of Yamaguchi, said that he mourned the victims with special hope this year, which also marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea.
   On Feb. 3, 1942, the Chosei coal mine was submerged by an abnormal flood, killing 136 people from the Korean Peninsula and 47 Japanese who were working in the mine shaft.

(2025/02/01-17:05)

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