Japan's defense minister to skip annual security dialogue in Seoul after war shrine visit: sources

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is reportedly planning to miss an upcoming security forum in Seoul due to his recent visit to a war shrine in Tokyo, according to sources. The Seoul Defense Dialogue, scheduled for Monday through Wednesday next week, will proceed without Koizumi, with a vice defense minister from Tokyo taking his place, the South Korean defense ministry announced.

Koizumi's absence stems from his visit to the Yasukuni Shrine last month, which may have influenced the decision. The shrine commemorates Japanese war dead, including 14 Class A criminals convicted in international tribunals for their roles during World War II. Visits to the shrine by Japanese leaders have been widely condemned by neighboring countries, who view such actions as glorifying the nation's militaristic past.

Had Koizumi attended the forum, he and South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back would have held their fourth bilateral talks in less than three months. Both Koizumi and Ahn have met three times this year, including a security forum in Singapore in May and Koizumi's visit to Seoul following Ahn's trip to Japan in January.