South Korea criticized Japan over visits to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine by Japanese leaders and lawmakers, the local media reported.

A government spokesman made the remarks Tuesday in a briefing one day after South Korea shelved a proposed trip by Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se to Tokyo in protest.

Cho Tai-young, the spokesman, expressed deeply concern and regret over Japanese leaders'visit to worship the shrine. " Yasukuni Shrine which honors Japanese leading World War II war criminals is a place to glorify Japan's aggressive war," he said.

"The Japanese government should make introspection that why South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se called off a planned visit to Japan and what did the people of victimized countries feel about the Yasukuni Shrine visit," the spokesman said.

Despite strong protests from neighboring countries, a group of 168 Japanese lawmakers on Tuesday visited the notorious Yasukuni Shrine, which honors convicted war criminals together with the country's war dead during World War II.