Prime Minister Ishiba's resignation announcement also reported by South Korean media = Concerns that ”uncertainty in Japan-South Korea relations has increased”

South Korean media also reported on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's announcement of his resignation on the 7th. In South Korea, Ishiba is seen as a relatively moderate figure in Japan-South Korea relations, and South Korean media have predicted that the next administration will be more conservative than the current one.
Ishiba met with President Lee Jae-myung, who visited Japan late last month, and spoke about the stable development of Japan-South Korea relations.
The Korea Economic Daily and other media outlets have reported that the names of Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and former Minister of State for Economic Security Sanae Takaichi are "strong candidates" for the position, and have stated that in the future
On the 7th, Ishiba held an emergency press conference and officially announced his intention to resign. Ishiba said, "I have always said, 'I am not attached to my position. I want to do what I need to do.'
I have said that I will make a decision at the appropriate time after carefully considering the situation. I believe that now that the negotiations regarding the US tariff measures have reached a conclusion, it is the right time to do so, and I would like to pass on the path to future generations.
After the ruling party suffered a crushing defeat in the July House of Councillors election, the movement to "take down Ishiba" gradually grew within the LDP. Ishiba resisted this and tried to stick to his intention to continue in his position, but
He decided that it was no longer possible to run the government. At a press conference, Ishiba expressed regret, saying, "There were still things I had to accomplish. It was a difficult decision." The Ishiba administration was launched in October last year.
However, his term came to an end after just one year. South Korean media outlets, citing Japanese media reports, reported in rapid succession that Ishiba had decided to resign.
"He has shown his desire to maintain power despite pressure from within the party to resign," the report said, explaining the events leading up to Ishiba's announcement of his resignation.
Ishiba visited Laos in October last year to attend a summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other events.
In Seoul, he held his first face-to-face summit meeting with South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol (then President of South Korea). Yoon said, "Following his predecessor, Prime Minister Kishida (Fumio), I will continue to engage in shuttle diplomacy (mutual visits between leaders)."
"I would like to work together to develop Korea-Japan relations through active communication, including through the Japan-Korea Joint Security Council," Ishiba said. In response, Ishiba said, "Close cooperation between Japan and Korea is also important for regional peace and stability.
"It is extremely important," he said, adding, "I would like to continue and further develop the bilateral relations that President Yoon and former Prime Minister Kishida have greatly improved."
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea, and a commemorative event was held in June hosted by the South Korean Embassy in Japan.
Ishiba also attended the event. "Japan and South Korea, as our closest neighbors, have built up a wide range of exchanges. We must continue to communicate closely so that the relationship between our two countries can develop in a stable manner," he said in his opening remarks.
He expressed his desire to strengthen relations and called on the two countries to "take a new step together toward the future." In the same month, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung was inaugurated. Late last month, Lee
The two leaders agreed to promote cooperation aimed at developing future-oriented Japan-Korea relations.
The multi-party meeting lasted for about an hour, well beyond the scheduled 20 minutes. After the meeting, a "joint document" summarizing the results was compiled for the first time in 17 years.
In South Korea, Ishiba is seen as a relatively moderate on historical issues. In response to Ishiba's resignation, the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper said, "He has promoted the development of South Korea-Japan relations.
Some have pointed out that the resignation of Prime Minister Ishiba could once again put the relationship between the two countries in a 'poor visibility' situation." The Korea Economic Daily said, "If Prime Minister Ishiba, who is friendly to South Korea, resigns, it could have a negative impact on South Korea-Japan relations.
He then stated that Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and former Minister of State for Economic Security Sanae Takaichi are "strong candidates" to succeed him, and said of Takaichi, "I think that the late Shinzo Abe, former Prime Minister,
"If Koizumi were to follow the conservative hardline stance of the current prime minister, he could have a negative impact on Japan-Korea relations," he said. Koizumi is considered "more moderate than Takaichi," but added, "If he becomes prime minister, he will have to be wary of right-wing and anti-Korea groups.
Meanwhile, the South Korean presidential office responded to Ishiba's resignation announcement by saying, "It is not appropriate to comment on domestic Japanese politics," and added, "Both
The country broadly shares the view that the relationship should be developed in a future-oriented and stable manner," he said, adding that he hopes the relationship will continue to be positive even after Ishiba steps down.