TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has made a ritual offering at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo for its spring festival.
The shrine honors Japan's war dead. Those enshrined there include leaders convicted of war crimes after World War Two.
Kishida sent a potted plant fitted with a wooden plaque bearing his name and official title on Sunday, the first day of the three-day festival. Sources say Kishida will not visit the shrine during the period.
Since taking office in 2021, Kishida has made offerings for the shrine's spring and autumn festivals in line with the precedent set by his predecessors Abe Shinzo and Suga Yoshihide.
Kishida also made a private cash offering to the shrine in his capacity as the president of the Liberal Democratic Party on August 15, 2022 and 2023. It is the day Japan annually marks the end of World War Two.
South Korea's Foreign Ministry spokesperson issued a statement in response to Kishida's offering.
The spokesperson says the South Korean government expresses deep disappointment and regret that Japan's responsible leaders have once again sent offerings or paid respects at the Yasukuni Shrine. It says the shrine glorifies Japan's past wars of aggression and enshrines war criminals.
The statement says the South Korean government urges Japan's responsible figures to look directly into their country's history and show through action their humble reflection and genuine repentance for the past.
The statement says that would be an important foundation for the development of future-oriented relations between the two countries.
