Overview

• South Korea notified Japan on Wednesday after talks failed to narrow differences despite what Seoul called serious negotiations.
• Disagreement centers on how to describe the nature of coercion, with Seoul seeking explicit recognition that Koreans were taken for hard labor against their will.
• Japan plans to proceed with this year’s ceremony on Sept. 13, according to diplomatic sources and local authorities.
• Seoul will hold its own commemoration with victims’ families, with details such as timing and participation still being arranged.
• Annual memorials were pledged by Japan as part of the Sado mines’ UNESCO listing, a commitment Seoul says must be matched by meaningful language.