SEOUL: South Korea has obtained an additional set of passenger manifests from the 1945 sinking of the Ukishima Maru, a Japanese vessel that led to the deaths of thousands of Koreans. This new batch of documents, provided by Japan, lists 34 passengers believed to be South Korean, marking the second disclosure following an initial release in September.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Ukishima Maru sank in August 1945 off the coast of Aomori Prefecture after an explosion in the hull. The ship was carrying Koreans, many of whom had been forcibly mobilized for labor during Japan’s colonial rule of Korea from 1910 to 1945, back to their homeland following Korea’s liberation. Japan had previously claimed that all passenger lists were lost in the sinking, but it has now been revealed that the records were preserved, raising questions about Japan’s previous reluctance to disclose them.
The vessel, operated by the Japanese Navy, departed Aomori on August 22, 1945, bound for Busan with a scheduled stop in Kyoto.
However, it sank following an explosion in the lower hull. Japanese authorities reported that the ship struck an underwater mine, resulting in the deaths of 524 out of 3,700 passengers. In contrast, family members of the Korean victims allege that over 3,000 individuals died out of as many as 8,000 aboard, accusing Japan of deliberately destroying the ship.
South Korean officials indicate that further analysis is required to verify the personal information contained in the newly received materials, which include data such as birth countries and dates. The South Korean government plans to continue discussions with Japan to obtain more documentation related to the victims, according to a foreign ministry official.