Key Takeaways
- South Korea expresses deep regret over Japanese PM’s offering to war-linked shrine.
- The Yasukuni Shrine has been a source of dipolmatic friction for Japan and its neighbors.
- Japan’s leaders must face history and demonstrate remorse for their country’s war crimes.
Seoul: South Korea on Tuesday expressed deep regret over Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s ritual offering to the notorious war-linked Yasukuni Shrine on the occasion of its annual spring festival.
South Korea’s government expressed deep disappointment and regret over Japan’s leaders sending offerings to the Yasukuni Shrine, which glorifies Japan’s war of aggression and enshrines war criminals.
South Korea urges the Japanese leaders to squarely face history and demonstrate through action their humble reflection and sincere remorse for Japan’s history, said the statement, stressing that these would be an important foundation for the future-oriented development of South Korea-Japan relations based on mutual trust.
On Monday, Ishiba sent the ritual tree, called “masakaki,” on the first day of the three-day ceremony at the war-linked shrine.
The Yasukuni Shrine in central Tokyo honors 14 convicted Class-A Japanese war criminals from World War II, including Hideki Tojo. It has long been a source of diplomatic friction for Japan and its neighbors.
For a long time, some Japanese politicians and members of parliament have insisted on visiting the shrine, which has been strongly opposed by many peace-loving people at home and abroad.
