Seoul, Oct 17 (IANS): South Korea on Thursday expressed regret over Japanese leaders sending offerings to the notorious war-linked Yasukuni Shrine, seen as a symbol of the militaristic and colonial past of Japan.

The foreign ministry said in a statement that the government expresses deep disappointment and regret over the fact that responsible leaders of Japan once again sent offerings to or visited the Yasukuni Shrine, which glorifies Japan's war of aggression and enshrines war criminals, reports Xinhua news agency.

The ministry urged leaders of Japan's new cabinet to squarely face history and demonstrate through action their humble reflection and sincere remorse for Japan's past acts, noting this will become an important foundation for the establishment of future-oriented South Korea-Japan relations based on mutual trust.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who took office on October 1, sent the ritual offering of a masakaki tree under his name as prime minister on the occasion of the shrine's autumn festival, according to his office on Thursday.

The Yasukuni Shrine, located in central Tokyo, honours 14 convicted Class-A Japanese war criminals from World War II. It has long been a source of diplomatic friction for Japan and its neighbours.