August 1945. Korea had been freed from 35 years of Japanese colonial rule. But not everyone returned home in celebration. Thousands of Koreans, many of them forced laborers, boarded a ship called the Ukishima Maru, hoping to finally make it back to their homeland.

But the ship never arrived. Instead of reaching Busan, the Ukishima Maru changed course toward Maizuru, Japan, and exploded at sea. Days after liberation, another tragedy unfolded beneath the waves.

A Homecoming That Ended in Silence

About 7,000 Koreans, most of them conscripted to work in Japanese military factories and bases, boarded the Ukishima Maru from Ominato, Hokkaido. The ship was supposed to bring them home — but on August 24, it abruptly turned toward Maizuru, and shortly after, a massive explosion sank the vessel.

The Japanese government later claimed the ship hit an American mine. But Korean survivors told a different story — the explosion came from inside the ship, and some Japanese crew members had escaped beforehand.

Smaller Than the Titanic, But With Even More Lives Aboard

The Ukishima Maru was only about one-tenth the size of the Titanic, yet it carried over four times as many people. Survivors described being packed so tightly that they couldn’t move. Many were told, “There is no other ship — this is your only way home.”

The result?
While the Titanic’s sinking claimed over 1,500 lives, the Ukishima Maru is believed to have killed between 1,000 and 5,000 people. But unlike the Titanic, this tragedy was buried — especially outside of Korea.

Accident? Or a Deliberate Act?

To this day, suspicion and unanswered questions surround the Ukishima Maru. Here’s why:

• An explosion from within: Survivors reported hearing three to four blasts, not just one. The ship’s wreckage, when recovered in 1950, showed the steel hull had buckled outward, suggesting an internal explosion, not one from a mine.
  
  
  Photograph of the Ukishima Maru’s damaged steel hull after salvage, showing metal panels bent outward
• 360 tons of stones: During salvage operations, investigators discovered the ship had been carrying 360 tons of rocks — despite being far over capacity with human passengers. This raised serious doubts: Was it weighed down on purpose to ensure it would sink?
• Crew abandoned ship: Just before the explosion, Japanese crew members reportedly ordered the Koreans to go below deck, then 230 of them escaped on another ship. Moments later, the Ukishima Maru exploded.

These details led many to believe this was not an accident, but a calculated act — possibly to eliminate witnesses to Japan’s wartime crimes.

A Second Tragedy After Surviving the First

Some survivors who made it out of the water were housed at the Taira Marine Corps barracks near Maizuru. But even there, tragedy followed.

Days later, a mysterious steam explosion occurred in the facility where Korean survivors were staying. The blast killed or injured over 50 Koreans.

To many, it was no longer a question of coincidence. Those who survived the sea were now being silenced on land.

The Fight for Truth Still Isn’t Over

For decades, survivors and families have demanded an apology and compensation from the Japanese government — mostly without success.

Only in 2024 did Japan release a partial list of passengers. Memorials now stand in Busan and Maizuru, but the full truth remains submerge

Liberation Didn't Come to Everyone

The Ukishima Maru wasn't just a ship.
It carried the hopes of thousands finally heading home, and with its sinking, those hopes were drowned in silence.

This tragedy reminds us that liberation doesn’t always arrive equally — or fully.
And remembering the people who never made it home may be the most honest way to understand what freedom really means.