The South Korean government expressed disappointment over Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's offering at Yasukuni Shrine.
On October 17, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying, "We once again express deep disappointment and regret over the fact that responsible leaders in Japan have once again offered tributes or visited Yasukuni Shrine, which glorifies Japan's past invasion wars and enshrines war criminals."
The ministry urged Japanese leaders to confront history and demonstrate humble reflection and genuine remorse through their actions, emphasizing that this is an important foundation for building a future-oriented Korea-Japan relationship based on trust between nations and peoples.
Earlier, Japanese media reported that Prime Minister Takaichi offered a 'masakaki' offering under the name 'Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae' during the autumn festival at Yasukuni Shrine, which began on the same day. However, it was noted that visits to the shrine would be suspended during the festival period, which lasts until October 19.
Yasukuni Shrine commemorates the spirits of over 2.466 million individuals who died in civil wars and numerous wars initiated by Japan during and after the Meiji Restoration, with 90% of these deaths related to World War II.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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