Seoul Voices 'Deep Disappointment and Regret' Over Takaichi's Yasukuni Offering
The South Korean government on October 17 expressed deep disappointment and regret over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's sending of a ritual offering to the Yasukuni Shrine. In a spokesperson's commentary, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the government "once again expresses deep disappointment and regret that responsible leading figures in Japan have again sent offerings to or repeatedly visited the Yasukuni Shrine, which glorifies Japan's past wars of aggression and enshrines war criminals."
The ministry urged Japan's responsible leaders to squarely face history and to demonstrate through action humble reflection and sincere remorse, reiterating that this is an important foundation for building future-oriented Korea-Japan relations based on trust between the two countries and their peoples.
Kyodo News and NHK reported that Takaichi sent a "masakaki" offering under the name "Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi" to coincide with the shrine's autumn festival, which opened the same day and runs through October 19. Citing an official close to the prime minister, Kyodo reported Takaichi does not plan to visit the shrine during the festival, a decision interpreted as an attempt to avoid diplomatic friction with South Korea and others. (GSM, based on Seoul Economic Daily and Yonhap reporting)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 首尔景福宫。Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul. Photo by Basile Morin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
