South Korea voiced deep concerns on Saturday over Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's sending of an offering and a visit by lawmakers to a controversial shrine that honors Japanese war dead, including World War II criminals.

"The government expresses its deep concerns and regret over Japanese government and parliamentary officials sending an offering to or visiting the Yasukuni Shrine that glorifies its history of colonial-era invasion and wars of aggression," the foreign ministry said in a commentary issued in the name of its spokesman.

On Saturday, Abe sent an offering to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, which followed a visit by 76 Japanese lawmakers to the shrine, which is viewed by Seoul and Beijing as reflecting Tokyo's militaristic past. It honors around 2.4 million war dead of Japan, including 14 Class-A war criminals. (Yonhap)