Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Friday Prime Minster Shinzo Abe's offering to Tokyo's controversial Yasukuni Shrine was his own "personal behavior”.

Abe sent a ritual offering of a sacred plant to the controversial shrine that honors Japan's war dead. A senior cabinet minister and more than 90 lawmakers also paid their respects at the shrine for a biannual festival on Friday.

"This question is related to the Prime Minister's actions, done in a personal capacity, so the government will refrain from presenting views on this," Suga said in response to mounting controversy.

Included in the 2.5 million Japanese war dead honored at the shrine are 14 Class-A convicted war criminals. Yasukuni is seen as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism. Visits and ritual offerings made by proxy to the shrine by Japanese leaders and officials have consistently brought about strong criticism from neighboring China and South Korea.

South Korea's foreign ministry criticized the visit, saying the shrine "glorifies Japan's past colonial exploitation and war of aggression, and also enshrines war criminals." Seoul expressed "deep concern and disappointment" for the "irresponsible" offering by Abe and visit by lawmakers, urging them to reflect on the country’s past.

Japan is currently seeking cooperation with China and South Korea as the crisis on the Korean Peninsula continues to deepen.

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