South Korea regrets Japan's denial of entry for pop singer

South Korea expressed deep regret Tuesday over Japan's denial of entry for a South Korean singer in apparent retaliation for his recent performance on Seoul's easternmost islets of Dokdo also claimed by Tokyo, Yonhap news agency
Famous South Korean singer Lee Seung-chul was sent home after being detained at Japan's Haneda Airport for four hours upon his arrival Monday.
Lee's management agency said the Japanese side did not clearly disclose the reason for the entry denial, but local media speculated it may be in retaliation for the singer's music concert held on Dokdo in August.
The 48-year-old singer, who boasts a large fandom here, held the performance together with a group of North Korean defectors there one day before the Aug. 15 anniversary of Korean liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule