South Korea expressed “deep disappointment” on Sunday over Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s offering at Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine, The Japan Times reported on April 21.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a ritual offering of a masakaki tree to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, which honors the souls of those who died for Japan. Kishida essentially repeated his actions from the previous two years. Economic Recovery Minister Yoshitaka Shindo visited the temple in person.
In Beijing and Seoul, the temple is seen as a symbol of Japan’s military aggression because it includes 14 Japanese convicted as war criminals by an Allied court among the 2.5 million war dead honored there.
Previous proposals by Japanese leaders have sparked protests in at least two countries.
Kishida and some cabinet ministers sent ritual offerings to the shrine on Sunday, Yonhap news agency reported, citing Japanese media.
“The government expresses its deep disappointment and regret that Japanese leaders have once again sent tributes to or visited the Yasukuni Shrine, which glorifies Japan’s war of aggression and commemorates war criminals.”said the South Korean Foreign Ministry.
South Korea urges Japanese leaders to “face history honestly and demonstrate humble reflection and sincere repentance” as an important basis for improving relations between the two countries, according to the South Korean statement.
Kishida’s name was not mentioned.
Representatives from Japan’s Foreign Ministry could not be reached for comment.
The two neighboring countries have improved relations after South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol made improving security cooperation with Tokyo and Washington a foreign policy priority since taking office in 2022.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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