Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba sent an offering to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, his office said on Thursday, a move that has previously been criticised by South Korea and China, which view the shrine as a symbol of Japan's militaristic past.

South Korea voiced "deep regret" Thursday after Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba sent an offering to a war shrine in Tokyo seen as a symbol of its militaristic past. Japanese media reported that Ishiba sent a ritual offering to the Yasukuni Shrine in celebration of the autumn festival,

The United States, South Korea and Japan on Wednesday announced the launch of a new multinational team to monitor the enforcement of sanctions against North Korea after Russia and China thwarted monitoring activities at the United Nations.

Senior diplomats from South Korea, the United States and Japan strongly denounced North Korea Wednesday for deliberately escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, vowing to step up three-way coordination in response to its provocations.

The US, South Korea, and Japan have announced the establishment of a new multinational group to monitor the enforcement of sanctions against North Korea. The decision comes in the wake of Russia and China disrupting UN monitoring activities,