Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio announced he will step down next month amid record low approval ratings and corruption scandals.
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00:00In a surprise move, Japan's Prime Minister, Kishida Fumio, has announced that he will
00:04not seek re-election to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, or LDP, and will step down
00:10as leader in September.
00:11I will take the first step to show that the Liberal Democratic Party will change.
00:25The timing was sudden, but the decision wasn't unexpected.
00:29Approval ratings for Kishida's government have been low for much of his tenure, dropping
00:33dramatically after a corruption scandal involving unreported political funds last December.
00:38He'll leave office with one of the lowest approval ratings in the party's history.
00:43Under such conditions, many in Japan felt the Prime Minister was left with little choice.
00:49I was surprised, but I felt like I wasn't being treated fairly.
00:55There were a lot of unforeseen events, and there was a waste of tax money.
01:03He probably regrets it, but he still has a lot to do.
01:09But I think it's a good decision.
01:11Personally, I would have liked him to stay as Prime Minister for a little longer.
01:16But I think he's under a lot of stress, and I don't think it's a good idea for him to leave now.
01:30While Kishida's term may have been short, it was consequential.
01:34He transformed Japan's defense policy, breaking with decades of precedent to double military
01:39spending, approve counter-strike capabilities, and deepen Japan's alliance with the United States.
01:45Looking ahead to the party's leadership election next month, at least two candidates
01:49are reportedly running.
01:51Current Defense Minister Ishiba Shigeru, who is currently on a visit to Taipei, and current
01:56Digital Minister and former Foreign Minister Kono Taro.
01:59Whoever takes the reins, the new LDP leader will have to see if they can make a fresh
02:03start in the minds of voters.
02:06Otherwise, the stain of party corruption might follow them.
02:10Scott Huang and Chris Gorin for Taiwan Plus.
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