Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara will make a one-day trip to South Korea on Saturday for talks with his counterpart, instead of staying overnight from Friday as originally planned, an official said.

Maehara called South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan on Thursday to ask if he could change the travel schedule, citing “various circumstances,” a ministry official said on condition of anonymity.

The official declined to be more specific as to the reason, only saying that it is about Japan’s own circumstances.

Maehara asked for Kim’s understanding and said that he wants to discuss with him bilateral relations, North Korea and other issues.

Kim expressed his understanding and accepted the altered schedule, the official said.

The Japanese minister is traveling to South Korea for the first time since taking office last September, although the two sides have previously held talks on the sidelines of an international summit in Hanoi and a trilateral meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington. 

(Yonhap News)