SEOUL, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- South Korea says it will lodge a protest if Japan's prime minister visits a shrine in Tokyo honoring the country's war dead.
A South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said his government "will come up with strong measures as it did last year" if Junichiro Koizumi visits the Yasukuni Shrine Tuesday.
Aug. 15 marks both the Liberation Day in Korea as well the anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II, reports the Korea Times. Despite the ministry statement, the newspaper said the government would not take any action that would affect bilateral ties.
South Korea sees the shrine as honoring Japan's wartime aggression. For the Japanese, the shrine signifies their country's commitment to peace.
On Tuesday, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun also was expected to issue a special statement, saying good relationship can only develop after the Yasukuni controversy is resolved, the report said.
China too is opposed to the visits by Japanese leaders to the shrine as it suffered under Japan's colonial rule.
Koizumi, 64, who plans to step down in September, has prayed once a year at the shrine since taking office in 2001, but never on Aug. 15, the report said.
