Japan will go ahead with a memorial ceremony on Sunday near the Sado Island Gold Mines, despite South Korea’s last-minute boycott of the event that highlighted tensions between the neighbors over the issue of Korean forced laborers at the site before and during World War II.

South Korea’s decision not to participate in what was envisioned an a moment of reconciliation highlighted the perceived lack of sincerity in Japan’s treatment of historical issues.

South Korea has paid tribute to wartime Korean forced laborers at Japan's Sado gold mines in a memorial ceremony.

South Korea expressed regret to Japan on Monday over Tokyo's attitude towards a memorial service held for labourers including Koreans forced to work in Japan's Sado mines during World War Two, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

By Jack Kim SEOUL (Reuters) -After boycotting a memorial event organised by Tokyo, South Korea held its own on Monday to remember compatriots forced to work in a Japanese mine during World War Two, highlighting lingering sensitivities between the key U.

By Jack Kim SEOUL (Reuters) -After boycotting one organised by Tokyo, South Korea held its own memorial event on Monday for compatriots forced to work in a Japanese mine during World War Two, highlighting lingering sensitivities between the countries.

South Korea has expressed regret to Japan over the way Tokyo has handled the memorial ceremony for the wartime forced labor victims, including Koreans, from an old Japanese mine complex during World War II,