Japan agreed to consider building an alternative memorial for the Yasukuni Shrine honoring Japanese war dead, including Class-A WWII war criminals, in consideration of the public opinion in Japan, said South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun on Monday.  

In a televised joint press conference held Monday late afternoon after summit meeting with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Roh introduced to reporters that the two countries also agreed to set up a joint textbook committee to conduct study of their shared history.

Roh underscored the above two agreements were reached before his summit meeting with Koizumi through diplomatic channels of their respective countries.

Koizumi arrived in Seoul earlier Monday, and is to leave for home on Tuesday morning.

(Xinhua News Agency June 21, 2005)