Seoul's Foreign Ministry has summoned an official from the Japanese embassy to protest remarks made by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who linked his country's export restrictions against South Korea to the issue of North Korea sanctions.

A Foreign Ministry official said that Seoul stressed to the summoned official on Monday that Abe's remarks are completely not true and conveyed its regret and protested the matter.

Appearing on a local TV program on Sunday, Abe said that South Korea clearly does not abide by international promises, referring to the issue of forced wartime labor. 

The prime minister went on to say that South Korea may not even comply with North Korea-related sanctions or trade control.

Earlier last week, Koichi Hagiuda, a close confidant of Abe and a senior member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, also raised suspicions over where Japanese chemical exports to South Korea end up.

Seoul's Foreign Ministry has asserted the country faithfully implements UN resolutions on North Korea sanctions as well as its commitments to the four multilateral export control regimes.