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Seoul places conditions on Roh-Koizumi summit

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun will not hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi unless he promises not to visit a Tokyo shrine that honors war criminals, Roh's spokesman said yesterday.

"A summit will be held only when Koizumi says he will not visit the Yasukuni shrine," Kim Man-soo said.

Roh and Koizumi have met twice since 2004 under what officials dubbed a "shuttle summit." Roh had been scheduled to visit Japan in December but canceled the trip due to Koizumi's visit to the shrine, which honors Japan's 2.5 million war dead, including convicted war criminals.

In December, South Korea also canceled a customary meeting with Japan on the sidelines of a regional summit -- a snub meant to protest Koizumi's shrine visit in October.

In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said earlier that his country intended to proceed with dialogue and exchanges with South Korea through various channels to deepen bilateral relations.

"In order to do this, it is important to hold top-level talks. Our country is always open, and we are prepared to welcome the president anytime," Abe said.

Despite the row, the two countries held a senior level "strategic dialogue" early this month in Japan.

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