Seoul, Sep 12
The South Korean government will accelerate efforts to verify the lists received from Japan of Korean passengers killed in a controversial 1945 sinking of a Japanese vessel, to help with victims' compensation, a Seoul official said on Thursday.
Last week, Japan gave South Korea 19 cases out of some 70 documents related to the passenger lists of the Ukishima Maru that sank in waters after an explosion in August 1945, news agency reported.
The ship was transporting back home many Koreans who had been forcibly mobilised for wartime labour, as Korea was liberated from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule.
South Korea had requested Japan to provide the lists amid controversy over the cause of the sinking and Japan's reluctance to disclose them after the existence of the lists was revealed despite years of denial by Tokyo.
"We are putting the focus on relieving the victims from their suffering," a foreign ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
"We don't know how long exactly the analysis is going to take, but we will do our best for the victims and bereaved families," the official said.
The official stressed that the government will continue to consult with Japan to obtain the rest of the documents. In May, Tokyo revealed during a lower house session that there are approximately 70 documents related to the passenger lists.