South Korea denied Sunday a Japanese media report that the United States has asked President Park Geun-hye not to attend China's celebration next month of its victory over Japan in World War II.
"The report is not true," a Foreign Ministry official said. "A situation like that would never happen."
Citing anonymous U.S. government and diplomatic sources, Kyodo News reported that the U.S. government "has urged" Park not to attend the Sept. 3 ceremony in Beijing.
In its English-language report, Kyodo said Park's presence "would send a false message to the world that China has cracked the U.S.-South Korea alliance."
According to Kyodo, Washington has contacted its embassy in Seoul and used other diplomatic channels to express its concerns about Park's potential attendance.
The Foreign Ministry official said it has not yet been determined whether Park will attend the ceremony. (Yonhap)
