Beginning in 1930s and until the end of World War II, around 450,000 Korean and Chinese were forced to work under very harsh conditions and brutal treatment as forced labourers. During this period, many of those conscripted labourers died on the island due to various dangers, including underground accidents, exhaustion, and malnutrition. Abe Shinzo apologized to Koreans. South Korea and Japan eventually agreed on a compromise: that Japan would present information about the use of forced labour in relevant sites and both nations would cooperate towards the approval of each other's World Heritage Site candidates.
