Pyongyang: North Korea on Tuesday criticized Japanese politicians for their recent visit to a controversial war shrine and for sending ritual offerings to the Yasukuni Shrine, which is viewed as a symbol of Japan’s militaristic history.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Rodong Sinmun, North Korea’s mainstream newspaper, accused Japan of harboring ambitions to reinvade by paying respects at the shrine, criticizing Japanese politicians for their actions.

Last week, outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba sent an offering to the Yasukuni Shrine to honor Japanese war dead, while lawmakers visited the shrine together to pay their respects. The Yasukuni Shrine honors approximately 2.46 million Japanese war dead, including 14 Class A criminals convicted by international tribunals for their roles in World War II.

The North Korean newspaper stated that honoring and glorifying war dead constitutes a “blatant challenge” to and violation of international justice, adding that such actions are alarming neighboring countries. “Japanese politicians’ obstinate paying of respects to the specters of militarism is not just nostalgia but a manifestation of their ambition to revive it,” the newspaper claimed.