The Lotte Hotel, one of the largest luxury hotels in Seoul, has decided against hosting a regularly held reception organized by the Japanese Embassy to commemorate the establishment of the Self-Defense Forces out of fear of demonstrations, a hotel source said.

Meanwhile, the War Memorial of Korea has canceled an exhibition of the popular Japanese manga "One Piece," which had been scheduled to start Saturday, citing a drawing similar to the Rising Sun flag — considered a symbol of Japan's aggression in South Korea — appearing in the original series.

The SDF event had been scheduled to be held Friday evening. After being notified of the decision by the Lotte Hotel, the embassy decided to hold the event at the ambassador's residence.