President Park voice opposition to Japan's world heritage bid

President Park Geun-hye has condemned Japan's bid to enlist its wartime industrial facilities as UNESCO world heritage sites, saying the move only creates conflict with the nations that suffered under Japanese colonial rule.
The Korean leader made the remark in a meeting with UNESCO chief Irina Bokova on Wednesday, saying it goes against the spirit of the body to acknowledge facilities... where many Koreans were made to do forced labor... as a prestigious heritage site.
Bokova, on her part, promised to convey President Park's message to the UNESCO heritage panels, while encouraging Seoul and Tokyo to communicate with each other to resolve the issue.
It is the first time that the president has directly mentioned Japan's UNESCO heritage bid, whose result will be announced during a World Heritage Committee Session in Germany, scheduled early July.