The South Korean government expressed regret on April 22 over Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's offering to Yasukuni Shrine in April this year, following a similar act in October last year. Yasukuni Shrine is a site where Class-A war criminals from World War II are enshrined.
An offering dedicated by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is placed at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, Japan, last October. Photo by Yonhap News
Lee Jaewoong, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issued a statement on the same day, saying, "The government expresses deep disappointment and regret that responsible, high-level Japanese leaders have once again made offerings or repeated visits to Yasukuni Shrine, which glorifies Japan's past war of aggression and enshrines war criminals."
He went on to say, "Our government urges responsible Japanese leaders to face history squarely and demonstrate sincere reflection and genuine remorse for past wrongdoings through their actions," emphasizing, "This is an important foundation for building a future-oriented South Korea-Japan relationship based on mutual trust between the two countries."
On the previous day, Prime Minister Ishiba dedicated an offering known as "masakaki"?a potted plant placed on the shrine altar?in the name of "Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba" to Yasukuni Shrine for the annual spring festival. However, it is reported that he will not visit the shrine during this year's festival, which runs until April 23. The last visit to the shrine by a sitting Japanese prime minister was made by Shinzo Abe in 2013.
However, about 70 members of a nonpartisan parliamentary group called "Parliamentarians for Visiting Yasukuni Shrine Together" paid their respects at the shrine on the morning of April 22.
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