South Korea Condemns Japanese Officials' Visit To Tokyo War Temple
JAKARTA - The South Korean government expressed deep disappointment and regret over the Japanese official's visit to the Yasukuni war temple in Tokyo on Friday.
South Korea said future relations should be built on the basis of Japan's regret for past mistakes, its foreign ministry said.
Japan commemorated 80 years of defeat in World War II on Friday, August 15. There was one cabinet minister joining thousands of visitors at the Yasukuni Temple, which South Korea said in a statement "grabbing the war of Japanese aggression and capturing war criminals."
The South Korean government urges Japanese leaders to face history and show humble reflections and sincere regret over Japan's past history.
"This is an important foundation for the development of future-oriented relations between the two countries based on mutual trust," the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
SEE ALSO:
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is scheduled to visit Japan on August 23-24 and hold a summit with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Lee previously criticized the government's efforts in Seoul to improve relations with Japan, which occupied the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945.
Since then, he has pledged to continue efforts to strengthen cooperation with Japan and the United States.