Seoul, Apr 21 (IANS): South Korea expressed "deep disappointment and regret" on Friday over Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's ritual offering at a controversial war shrine in Tokyo that is regarded as a symbol of Japan's militaristic past.

The government "expresses deep disappointment and regret over the fact that the responsible leaders of Japan have once again sent offerings to and paid respects at the Yasukuni Shrine, which glorifies Japan's war of aggression and enshrines war criminals", Lim Soo-suk, spokesperson for the Seoul Foreign Ministry, said in a statement.

South Korea "strongly urges" Japan to "squarely face history" and demonstrate sincere remorse for its past, Yonhap News Agency quoted the spokesperson as saying.

Earlier in the day, Kishida sent a ritual offering of a "masakaki" tree stand to the shrine on the occasion of a two-day spring festival, according to Japanese media reports.

Yasukuni Shrine in central Tokyo honors 2.5 million Japanese war dead, including 14 Class-A war criminals from World War II.