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

South Korea commemorated wartime Korean forced labourers at Japan’s Sado gold mines in a ceremony Monday, a day after boycotting a similar event organised by Japan, as tensions over historical atrocities continue to strain relations between the two sides.

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’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 Island Gold Mines in a memorial ceremony

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