The earthquake in Japan, the worst ever in its history, will inevitably affect regional diplomatic affairs.

A meeting of South Korean, Japanese and Chinese foreign ministers scheduled for this coming Saturday and Sunday in Kyoto may not be able to proceed.

Amid conflicts over diplomatic and security issues, the three countries have been striving to establish the trilateral foreign ministerial meeting as a regular regional dialogue body.

Whether an inaugural antiterrorism consultative dialogue between Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing can be held as planned is also unclear. The two-day meeting was scheduled from Thursday in South Korea’s Jeju Island.

A delegation led by acting chief of the Democratic Party of Japan Yoshito Sengoku was also scheduled to visit Seoul this week but canceled it.

Sengoku planned to meet with Grand National Party lawmaker Lee Sang-deuk, Seoul's foreign and unification ministers as well as President Lee Myung-bak during his visit.