Koizumi Skips Seoul Defense Meet | South Korea News

South Korea News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Sep 4, 2026 · 1m

Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is skipping the Seoul Defense Dialogue next week — a major annual security event — with a vice minister stepping in instead. While no official reason was given, widespread speculation links his absence to his recent controversial visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan’s WWII war dead — including convicted war criminals — and deeply offends South Korea. The timing of his shrine visit, on August 15 — Victory Day — amplified tensions. His planned meeting with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back would have marked their fourth high-level…