South Korean President Park Geun-Hye said Saturday that a speech by Japan's prime minister expressing deep remorse for his country's actions in World War II had fallen short of Seoul's expectations.

"It is true that the prime minister's statement made (on Friday) left much to be desired," Park said in a speech marking the 70th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II that ended its 1910-45 colonisation of the Korean Peninsula.