Seoul, Beijing protest as Suga sends offering to shrine for war dead

TOKYO • Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga sent a ritual offering yesterday to the controversial Yasukuni shrine, which honours war dead, including perpetrators of the country's World War II atrocities on its neighbours.

South Korea expressed "deep disappointment" at Mr Suga's offering to the shrine to mark a spring festival, while China also protested against the move.

The shrine in Tokyo honours some 2.5 million war dead, mostly Japanese, who died in the country's wars since the late 19th century. But it also honours senior military and political figures convicted of war crimes, and has frequently been a source of sour ties with countries that suffered from Japan's military atrocities - particularly China and South Korea.

Mr Suga's predecessor, Mr Shinzo Abe, who stepped down last year for health reasons, visited the shrine in person yesterday.

Mr Suga sent a sacred tree but was not expected to visit the shrine.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry expressed "deep disappointment and regret" over Mr Suga's tribute and urged Japan's leaders to "face history squarely and humbly and truly reflect on the past".

It said: "Japan should keep in mind that is the basis of a future-oriented Korea-Japan relationship."

Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin also urged Japan to "draw a clear line with militarism and take concrete measures to earn the trust of its Asian neighbours and the international community".

He said: "We firmly oppose Japanese politicians' erroneous practices."

A 2013 visit to the shrine by then Prime Minister Abe sparked an outcry from Beijing and Seoul, as well as a rare diplomatic rebuke from the United States, Japan's close ally.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE