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

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is reportedly set to skip the annual security forum in Seoul due to his recent visit to a controversial war shrine in Tokyo, according to sources. The Seoul Defense Dialogue, scheduled for Monday through Wednesday, will be attended by a vice defense minister from Tokyo instead. Koizumi's absence is believed to be linked to his visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japanese war dead, including convicted war criminals, on August 15, the anniversary of World War II's end.

This move comes amid warming bilateral relations between Japan and South Korea, as well as criticism from Seoul over the shrine visit.

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