The Japanese Embassy in Seoul will host an annual celebration of Emperor Akihito's birthday next month, a diplomatic source said Sunday.

The source said the embassy will hold the event at a Seoul hotel on Dec. 8, and has extended invitations to South Korean political and business leaders.

The emperor's birthday, Dec. 23, is a national holiday in Japan. Each December, Japanese diplomatic missions celebrate the occasion with representatives of their host countries on hand.

Emperor Akihito will turn 83. In August, he discussed his declining health in a televised address, hinting at abdicating in favor of his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito.

Last December in South Korea, about 600 diplomats and business figures attended the celebration. Some civic activists were gathered around the party's venue and called on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to step down, though their demonstration didn't lead to any clash. (Yonhap)