A Japanese government official has apologized for making anti-Korean remarks on social media.

According to Kyodo news on Monday, a director at Tokyo's Setagaya branch of the Japan Pension Service called Koreans "cowardly" on Twitter and called for barring Korean nationals from entering the country.

The Japan Pension Service, the agency in charge of Japan’s public pension program, is under the auspices of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. 

An official at the ministry had also stirred controversy recently when he expressed anti-Korean sentiments while intoxicated at Korea's Gimpo Airport

According to Kyodo, the pension office director admitted to making inappropriate remarks, apologized and has deleted the tweets.

Following the incident, the Japan Pension Service placed the official on administrative leave at the personnel department of its head office.