So what happened? Did a bomb go off there or something? Nope: In 1974, the coal ran out and Mitsubishi left, telling the now jobless employees that they would be hired on the mainland on a first come, first served basis. Entire families rushed out, leaving toys on the floor and cups of coffee on the table. Within two months, the entire place was empty.
Michael Gakuran/Gakuran.com
This woman forgot her torso.
Seems like a place worth visiting and preserving, right? Korea disagrees: They're trying to keep it off the U.N.'s World Heritage Site list, on account of the small fact that during World War II, Gunkanjima used slave labor. And not just Korean prisoners -- some Japanese nationals were forced to work the mines, too, and were punished if they tried to escape. Besides being tortured and starved, some were sent to clear the rubble in Nagasaki... right after the bombs dropped.
See, the executives at Mitsubishi weren't just corrupt. They were straight-up Bond villains.