S. Korean FM calls off visit to Japan over shrine visit

South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se called off his scheduled visit to Japan this week due to visits from some Japanese cabinet members to a controversial shrine on Sunday, the Yonhap News Agency reported Monday.

Yun planed to visit Tokyo to hold first bilateral talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday during a two-day trip, but canceled the plan after some Japanese cabinet members made visits to the war-linked Shrine on Sunday, which honors Japanese war criminals of World War II, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Japan's Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission Keiji Furuya and Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro visited the Yasukuni Shrine on Sunday. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who said earlier that he will not visit during the festival, offered a " masakaki" tree that is traditionally used in rituals to the shrine, with his name written under the title of "prime minister," according to Kyodo News Agency.

Spokesman of South Korean foreign ministry expressed deeply regrets and worries about the visits from some Japanese cabinet members to Yasukuni Shrine in writing comments.

China and South Korea have urged many times that Japanese leaders should stop visiting the shrine and take a responsible attitude toward history.

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