Why is Shinjiro Koizumi skipping the Seoul Defense Dialogue in Seoul?

Sources said the exact reason is unclear, but his absence is seen as related to his recent visit to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, which drew criticism from Seoul. A vice defense minister from Tokyo will attend the forum instead.

When is the Seoul Defense Dialogue scheduled and who will represent Japan?

The Seoul Defense Dialogue is set for Monday through Wednesday. Seoul’s defense ministry said a vice defense minister from Tokyo will attend in Koizumi’s place.

How often have Shinjiro Koizumi and Ahn Gyu-back met this year?

They have met three times this year already. Their meetings included a defense forum in Singapore in May and Koizumi’s reciprocal visit to Seoul in late June after Ahn’s trip to Japan in January.

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

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Summary

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is expected to skip the Seoul Defense Dialogue in Seoul early next week, sources said Friday. Seoul’s defense ministry said a vice defense minister from Tokyo will attend instead. The absence comes after Koizumi’s visit to the Yasukuni Shrine last month drew criticism from Seoul. Koizumi and Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back have already met three times this year.

Key Facts

The Seoul Defense Dialogue is set for Monday through Wednesday, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Seoul’s defense ministry said a vice defense minister from Tokyo will attend the forum in Koizumi’s place.
Koizumi visited the Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15, the anniversary of the end of World War II.
The shrine honors Japanese war dead, including 14 Class A criminals convicted in international tribunals for their roles in World War II.
Koizumi and Ahn Gyu-back have already met three times this year, including in Singapore in May and in Seoul in late June.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 4, 2026 8:39 am KST
Updated Sep 4, 2026 8:40 am KST

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi delivers a speech during the Japan Self-Defense Force's (JSDF) senior officers conference at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo, Japan, Wednesday. EPA-Yonhap

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is expected to skip an annual security forum in Seoul early next week, sources familiar with the matter said Friday, a move seen as related to his recent visit to a controversial war shrine in Tokyo that drew criticism from Seoul.

Koizumi will not attend the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD), set for Monday through Wednesday, multiple sources told Yonhap News Agency.

A vice defense minister from Tokyo will be present in his place, Seoul's defense ministry said.

Koizumi had been widely expected to attend next week's forum, given the brisk high-level defense diplomacy between the two neighbors amid a warming of bilateral relations. His predecessor, Gen Kanatani, attended last year's SDD.

While the exact reason for his absence remains unclear, Koizumi's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine last month may have affected the decision.

Koizumi was among a group of Japanese lawmakers who visited the shrine on the anniversary of the end of World War II on Aug. 15.

The Yasukuni Shrine honors Japanese war dead, including 14 Class A criminals convicted in international tribunals for their roles in World War II. Visits to the site by the Japanese leadership have long been denounced by neighboring countries that view such actions as glorifying its militaristic past.

Had Koizumi attended next week's forum, he and Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back would have held their fourth bilateral talks in just over two months.

Koizumi and Ahn already met three times this year, including during a Singapore security forum in May and Koizumi's reciprocal visit to Seoul in late June following Ahn's trip to Japan in January.

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