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Korea voices ‘deep’ regret over Abe’s offering to Yasukuni shrine

Aug. 15, 2018 - 16:44 By Yonhap
South Korea expressed deep regret Wednesday over Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s sending of a ritual offering to the controversial Yasukuni war shrine.

Marking the 73rd anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II, Abe sent a cash donation earlier in the day, while some politicians visited the Tokyo shrine, which honors Japan’s war dead, including war criminals. 


Japanese lawmakers visit the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on April 20. (Yonhap)

“We call on Japanese politicians to take a sincere attitude of reflecting on and repenting for past history,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “We point out that, in that case, relations between South Korea and Japan will move forward in a future-oriented way and (Japan) can garner trust from neighboring countries.”

Abe visited the war shrine in December 2013, the first such visit by a Japanese prime minister since 2006, sparking fierce criticism from Seoul and Beijing, which have a shared history. He has sent a ritual offering to the shrine through his aides during festivals and on the war anniversary. (Yonhap)