Pro-S. Korea Ishiba elected as new Japanese PM

Shigeru Ishiba, former Secretary-General of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has been elected as Japan’s 102nd Prime Minister. A non-mainstream, moderate figure in the LDP, Ishiba secured the role after four failed attempts in party leadership races. He will officially succeed Fumio Kishida and form a new Cabinet on October 1. In Japan’s parliamentary system, the ruling party leader serves as prime minister.

In the second-round runoff on Friday at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo, Ishiba won 215 votes, defeating Sanae Takaichi, Minister of Economic Security, who secured 194 votes. Although Ishiba trailed Takaichi in the first round with 154 votes (46 from parliamentarians, 108 from party members) against her 181, he clinched victory by gaining strong support from MPs and regional votes. Former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, finished third with 136 votes and did not advance to the final.

Ishiba, who clashed with the hardline former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has been viewed as more open to improving South Korea-Japan relations. Compared to the more hawkish Takaichi, who pledged to visit Yasukuni Shrine, Ishiba is seen as a dove, raising expectations that South Korea-Japan relations won’t deteriorate under his leadership. However, as Ishiba maintains Japan’s firm stance on issues like compensation for forced labor victims and the territorial dispute over Dokdo (Takeshima in Japanese), significant breakthroughs are unlikely.


도쿄=이상훈 특파원 sanghun@donga.com