As Northeast Asia Changes, Seoul Is Caught in the Middle

Japan's Yasukuni Shrine is an object of some controversy across Northeast Asia. Though it is meant to honor Japan's war dead, many across the region see it as a symbol of Japan's lack of penitence for war crimes against civilians in Korea, China and elsewhere. To commemorate the 71st anniversary of the end of World War II in the Pacific on Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to Yasukuni Shrine instead of visiting it himself, something he has not done since December 2013. South Korean President Park Geun Hye responded to Abe's tribute with a gently conciliatory comment, calling for a "future-oriented" relationship with Tokyo....