Gov't Criticizes Yasukuni Visits by Japanese Politicians... Laments 'Anachronistic Act'

On the 15th, the government criticized Japanese politicians for visiting and offering rituals at the Yasukuni Shrine, calling it an "anachronistic act of forgetting history" that glorifies past aggressive wars.

In a commentary issued that day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took issue with the repetition of offerings and visits by Japan's responsible leaders to the Yasukuni Shrine, which enshrines war criminals. The ministry strongly urged Japan's leaders to face history and demonstrate humble reflection and genuine repentance for the past through their actions.

The government emphasized that repentance and reflection serve as an important foundation for building a future-oriented relationship between South Korea and Japan based on mutual trust.