SEOUL – South Korea on Saturday expressed regret over senior Japanese officials sending ritual offerings and paying visits to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, South Korea expressed its deep disappointment and regret once again that responsible leaders of Japan repeatedly made offerings or paid visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, which glorifies Japan's wars of aggression and enshrines war criminals.

Seoul urged Japanese leaders to squarely face history and demonstrate through action their humble reflection and sincere remorse for Japan's past acts, emphasizing that it will be an important foundation for building a forward-looking South Korea-Japan relationship based on mutual trust between countries and peoples.

ALSO READ: Report: S. Korea pulls out of joint maritime search, rescue drill with Japan

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent the ritual potted tree, called "masakaki," to mark the shrine's autumn festival. Some Japanese politicians and members of parliament also visited the shrine and made offerings.

The Yasukuni Shrine honors about 2.46 million Japanese war dead, including 14 convicted Class-A Japanese war criminals from World War II, among them wartime Prime Minister Hideki Tojo.