Disclosed recently was a new result of survey that about 650 of the Koreans who were forced to work for the construction of an anti-air raid shelter for the general headquarters of the Imperial Japanese Army in the closing years of the Pacific War died in the work site. It was meant to be used as its general command post.

A relevant body of Japan said on Feb. 28 that the toll was estimated through the survey conducted from 2006 on the basis of testimonies made by persons concerned, available results of survey, etc.

The shelter was to be used as headquarters where the command of Japanese ground force was located to command the Pacific War and a shelter which might function as a royal palace in case of a contingency.

Japan constructed underground facilities in top secret in various places around Mts. Sho, Maizuru, Minagami, etc. in the area of Matsushiro, Nagano Prefecture from October 1944 up to right before its defeat in 1945.

"According to the testimony made by a survivor, more than one worker died everyday during the construction", said the information.

The Japanese imperialists forcibly drafted at least 8.4 million young and middle aged Koreans to slave labor sites and shambles of war during their colonial fascist rule over Korea, forcing them to die with grudge.

They forced at least 2,000 Koreans to slave in chains for the construction of the shelter for the Matsushiro general headquarters from April 1945 up to the day they suffered their defeat. They committed the monstrous massacre of all of them in the end.

But this is just a tip of iceberg of the crimes related to the unprecedentedly harsh labor committed by the Japanese imperialists against the Koreans. The crimes committed by them can never be written off.

Japan should admit the crimes and make sincere apology and reparation for them.