Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Wednesday he does not think his annual visits to the war-related Yasukuni Shrine is the core of the dispute between Japan and South Korea as well as China.  

Speaking at a House of Representatives audit committee session, Koizumi said: "I do not think my visits to Yasukuni Shrine is the core (issue) in the Japan-South Korea relation nor the Japan-China relation."

"Developing friendly relations while maintaining a future-oriented manner and facing straight up to history are the core issues of our relationship," the prime minister said.

He reiterated his opinion on the controversial visits to the shrine, saying "in any country, it is completely natural for a person to express his heartfelt sorrow for those who lost their lives for their country."

But many Asian countries have strongly protested against Japanese leaders' visits to the notorious Shinto shrine in Tokyo, which honors 14 convicted World War II Class-A war criminals, responsible for Japan's aggression war against its Asian neighbors.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun was quoted by Kyodo News as telling Koizumi during their meeting in Seoul on Monday that the Yasukuni issue remains "the core" of the dispute between the two countries.

Roh's remarks are believed to be an implicit call for the Japanese prime minister to end his Yasukuni visits, Kyodo said.

During their summit talks, Koizumi and Roh failed to bridge their differences over the Japanese leader's shrine visits but confirmed Japan's plan to consider setting up a new national war memorial as urged by South Korea.

Koizumi has paid visits once a year to the Yasukuni Shrine since he took office in 2001. Last month, he indicated a plan to visit the shrine again sometime this year.

(Xinhua News Agency June 23, 2005)