Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday sent a ritual offering to Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, a World War II memorial where the remains of 14 war criminals lie.
Kishida has sent an offering on the occasion of the Shinto shrine’s spring festival, avoiding going to the site –as he did on previous occasions– to avoid the resurgence of historical tensions with neighboring countries, such as South Korea and China.
However, about 90 parliamentarians from the group ‘Diet Members to Visit Yasukuni Shrine Together’ visited the shrine this morning, as they do every year on the occasion of the annual spring and autumn festivals, as well as on August 15, when the end of World War II is commemorated.
SEOUL: »DEEP DEEP DISAPPOINTMENT AND SORROW» Following this, the South Korean government has expressed »deep disappointment and regret» over the fact that »Kishida and other Japanese political leaders paid homage or visited the shrine».
»We urge responsible figures in Japan to face history and show humble introspection and true remorse for the past through action,» South Korean officials have again reiterated.
The Foreign Ministry, through a statement, has denounced that »Japanese leaders have once again made offerings or paid homage to the Yasukuni Shrine, which glorifies Japan’s past wars of aggression and enshrines war criminals.»
The site is a symbol of military aggression, and while some high-ranking officials and former leaders visit annually, Kishida is considered a more liberal leader who has advocated improved relations with Seoul.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
