South Korea's foreign ministry on Saturday expressed deep worry over Japanese leaders' visit 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 worry about the repeated visits and ritual offerings by Japan's government and parliament leaders to the Yasukuni Shrine that beautifies Japan's war of aggression and enshrines war criminals.

The statement urged Japan's responsible leaders to squarely face up to the history and show humble introspection and sincere repent over the past atrocities "with action".

Such action can build future-oriented relations between Seoul and Tokyo and let Japan gain trust from neighboring countries and the international community, the statement noted.

Four members of the Japanese cabinet visited the shrine earlier in the day to mark 75 years since Japan's surrender in World War II. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made his ritual offering to the shrine instead of the visit.

The Yasukuni Shrine honors 14 Class-A convicted war criminals among 2.5 million Japanese war dead from World War II.

Visits and ritual offerings made by Japanese officials to the infamous shrine have consistently sparked criticism and hurt the feelings of South Korea and other countries brutalized by Japan during the war.

The Korean Peninsula was colonized by the Imperial Japan from 1910 to 1945.

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