Japanese lawmakers visit the Yasukuni Shrine on the annual autumn festival in Tokyo on Oct 18, 2023. (PHOTO / JIJI PRESS / AFP)

SEOUL - South Korea on Wednesday expressed disappointment and regret over Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sending a ritual offering to the controversial war-linked Yasukuni Shrine on the occasion of the shrine's autumn festival.

The Yasukuni Shrine, located in central Tokyo, honors 14 convicted Class-A Japanese war criminals from World War II. It has long been a source of diplomatic friction for Japan and its neighbors

The foreign ministry said in a statement that the South Korean government expresses deep disappointment and regret over the fact that responsible leaders of Japan have once again sent offerings to and paid respects at the Yasukuni Shrine, which glorifies Japan's war of aggression and enshrines war criminals.

It noted that the South Korean government strongly urges the Japanese leaders to squarely face history and demonstrate through action their humble reflection and sincere remorse for Japan's past history in order to contribute to the future-oriented development of South Korea-Japan relations.

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Kishida sent the ritual offering of a masakaki tree on Tuesday under his name as prime minister on the occasion of the shrine's autumn festival.

Earlier in the day, a group of Japanese lawmakers paid respect to the war-linked shrine.

Japanese media reported that Yoshitaka Shindo, the minister in charge of economic revitalization, and Sanae Takaichi, the economic security minister, visited the shrine Tuesday morning.

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The Yasukuni Shrine, located in central Tokyo, honors 14 convicted Class-A Japanese war criminals from World War II. It has long been a source of diplomatic friction for Japan and its neighbors.

Visits and ritual offerings made by Japanese officials to the controversial shrine have consistently sparked criticism and hurt the feelings of the peoples of China, South Korea and other countries brutalized by Japan during the war.