The South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry said Friday it is "very regrettable" that Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, the front-runner to succeed Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, visited Yasukuni Shrine in April.
"To build friendly relations with neighboring countries, it is necessary to look squarely at history and take a common-sense response," the ministry said, emphasizing that visits to the shrine would become an obstacle to bilateral relations.
The statement indicates a strong sense of disappointment by the South Korean government, which until now has only called on "the political leaders of Japan" to exercise self-restraint on visits to the shrine.
The administration of President Roh Moo Hyun has a "no compromise" stance on historical issues, so Japan will face strong criticism from Seoul when South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki Moon is scheduled to make an official visit to Japan from Monday with a policy of developing diplomacy focused on the "post-Koizumi" era.