“Next year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan… the next prime minister should pay attention”,
Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga climbs onto a platform at the prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo on the 14th to hold a press conference. ⓒAP/Newsis, ‘[Dailian = Reporter Jung In-gyun] Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared that he will not run in the leadership election of the ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), scheduled for late next month.’,
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, ‘According to Kyodo News and others, Prime Minister Suga said in a press conference on the 14th, “In this leadership election, the LDP must show a changed appearance” and said, “The first step is for me to step down.” As a result, Suga, who took office in October 2021, is scheduled to retire on the 30th of next month after completing about three years in office.’,
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, ‘His approval ratings plummeted due to scandals involving illegal political funds within factions of the LDP and allegations of ties to an ultraconservative cult at the end of last year. According to a survey released by the Yomiuri Shimbun on the 22nd of last month, Suga’s cabinet approval ratings remained in the 20% range for nine consecutive months. It was reported that 21% of respondents answered, “Because I cannot trust the prime minister,” as the reason for the low ratings.’,
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, ‘Regarding the political fund issue, Prime Minister Suga stated, “I made a heavy decision to carry out political reform” and said, “As the leader of the LDP, I will take full responsibility. It is natural for me as the head of the organization to take responsibility for the problems caused by LDP-affiliated lawmakers.”’,
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, ‘He also mentioned his diplomatic achievements. Prime Minister Suga said, “Based on the solid alliance with the United States, I played a leading role in the international community through events such as hosting the G7 Hiroshima Summit, participating in the NATO Summit, and attending the Camp David trilateral summit with the U.S. and Korea.” He emphasized, “Especially, relations between Korea and Japan have noticeably improved. As next year marks the 60th anniversary of normalization of diplomatic ties between Korea and Japan, the new prime minister should further develop relations between the two countries.”’,
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, ‘When asked about which candidate he supports as the next prime minister, he replied, “I cannot answer.” He emphasized that he will do his best in managing state affairs during the remainder of his term, including disaster management for earthquakes and typhoons.’