Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has reportedly made a ritual offering to the controversial Yasukuni war shrine, marking the 77th anniversary of the country’s World War Two surrender.
According to Kyodo News on Monday, Kishida personally covered expenses for the offering under his title as the president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party(LDP).
The shrine, which honors Japan’s war dead and includes 14 Class-A war criminals, is considered a symbol of Japan’s military aggression and visits by state leaders are often protested by neighboring South Korea and China.
Several Cabinet members, including economic security minister Sanae Takaichi and reconstruction minister Kenya Akiba, visited the shrine earlier in the day to pay their respects.
Former economy and trade minister Koichi Hagiuda, who now serves as the head of the LDP’s policy research council, made an offering on a visit to the shrine.
It is the third straight year that incumbent Japanese Cabinet members paid respects at the shrine marking the war surrender.
Later in the day, Seoul’s foreign ministry through its spokesperson expressed disappointment and regret over the offerings and visits to the shrine by Japan’s high-ranking officials.
Source: KBS World Radio