Seoul expresses 'deep disappointment' after new Japanese leader sends offering to Yasukuni Shrine

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Seoul expresses 'deep disappointment' after new Japanese leader sends offering to Yasukuni Shrine

Published: 17 Oct. 2024, 15:28 Updated: 17 Oct. 2024, 17:35

SEO JI-EUN
seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba offered tribute to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Thursday. [YONHAP]

The South Korean government on Thursday voiced "deep disappointment" after Japanese leaders, including newly appointed Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, sent offerings to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which many Koreans view as a symbol of Japan’s militaristic and colonial past.

"The government of the Republic of Korea 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," Korea’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said in a commentary.

The ministry further urged Japanese leaders to "squarely face history" and demonstrate through action "humble reflection and sincere remorse for Japan’s history," noting that this is crucial for developing future-oriented relations between the two countries.

Prime Minister Ishiba, who assumed office on Oct. 1, sent a ritual offering — a masakaki tree used in Shinto ceremonies — under his name as prime minister for the shrine's autumn festival, according to his office. This marks his first such offering since taking office.

The prime minister does not plan to visit the shrine in person, according to local media reports, aligning with the precedent set by his predecessors, including former Prime Ministers Fumio Kishida and Yoshihide Suga, who refrained from visiting the Yasukuni Shrine during their tenures but sent ritual offerings in observance of significant occasions.

The last time a sitting Japanese prime minister visited the shrine in person was in 2013, when then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made an appearance.

Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun, right, and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Masataka Okano shake hands at the Korea-Japan vice-ministerial meeting in central Seoul on Thursday. During the meeting held in the morning, the Korean government's message on Japan’s sending of offerings to and paying respects at Yasukuni Shrine was delivered at the level of a spokesperson's commentary, a Foreign Ministry official said. [NEWS1]

The Yasukuni Shrine, located in central Tokyo, has long been a source of friction between Japan and its neighbors such as Korea and China, both of which were victims of Japan’s military aggression in the 20th century. The shrine honors 1,068 war criminals convicted by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, including 14 Class A war criminals who were directly involved in plotting Japan’s wartime actions. Visits and offerings to the shrine by Japanese leaders have been a regular point of contention for South Korea and China, who see these acts as Japan's failure to acknowledge its wartime atrocities fully.

Ishiba on Thursday also met with families of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea, including the mother of Megumi Yokota, who has come to symbolize the kidnapping of Japanese citizens by Pyongyang. Megumi was taken by North Korean agents at the age of 13 in 1977.

During the meeting, Ishiba underscored the urgency of resolving the issue, describing it as "a race against time," and reiterated his willingness to engage in direct talks with North Korea, according to Kyodo News.

Ishiba’s immediate predecessor, Kishida, also expressed openness to a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, but failed to hold such talks during his time in office.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]