I have such mixed feelings about public apologies, but it is absolutely cultural. I personally, as a north american, do not believe a word of it because I have grown up with disingenuous apologies. BUT this is different. It IS an expected ritual. Whereas here, we don't expect it and mock it.
Our "there was an accident at the factory and people died" press conferences do not generally include apologies from CEOs. Theirs do. Always. As do political press conferences when something like this happens. And it always comes off weird when westerners report on it because we don't understand.