Japan’s Kyodo News says South Korea and Japan’s defense ministers are unlikely to meet on the sidelines of a three-day regional security forum opening on Friday in Singapore.

Kyodo News quoted a Japanese government official as saying that Seoul informed Tokyo that it is impossible to change the defense minister’s schedule to make room for talks with his Japanese counterpart during the 12th International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Asia Security Summit.

On April 27th, South Korea’s Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se raised issue with Japanese politicians’ distorted views on history and said it would be difficult for South Korea to hold summits or ministerial meetings with Japan unless the atmosphere within Japan changes regarding its distortions of history.