The Ukishima

The sinking of the Titanic.
It is recalled by the world, as the tragic event with the most casualties at sea. However, would you believe that there is an incident at sea which took the lives of many more? On the 15th of August, 1945, Japan lost in the 2nd World War. Along with their surrender, Korea, freed from the grasp of Japan, has once again become a free country. After the liberation, forced Korean laborers were being sent back to their own country. At the time, ten-thousand Koreans living in the Aomori Prefecture of the Shimokita Peninsula in Japan were ordered to board the Ukishima for their return back home.

The ship was bound to depart on the 22nd of August, 1945 and was to arrive three days later at the Busan Port. But instead, it followed the Japanese coast toward the port of Maizuru and two days later, it sunk due to an explosion on the 24th of August. Eight thousand lives of Koreans have been buried deep in the sea of a different country.

Despite the number of casualties, the truth behind the incident has not yet surfaced. The Japanese say it was due to a mine, while the Korean survivors say it was the deed of the Japanese Navy. Which of it is true?

The documentary, <The Ukishima> explains the reasons behind why the ship sunk, through the testimonies of survivors and historical records. This incident had more casualties than the Titanic, and yet only a handful of people around the world know about it. Through this movie, we only hope that more people would learn about the Ukishima incident, that has been hidden behind the curtains for decades.