NHK "Prime Minister Abe Firm on Resignation Intent...Concerns Over Governance Due to Chronic Illness" (Breaking)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Japanese media including NHK reported unanimously on the 28th that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan has decided to resign. Prime Minister Abe is expected to explain the reason for his firm decision to resign himself at a press conference at 5 p.m. that day.

NHK reported that "Prime Minister Abe appears to have decided to resign in order to avoid any disruption to national affairs due to the worsening of his chronic illness."

Earlier, Prime Minister Abe underwent lengthy additional medical examinations on the 17th and 24th, and rumors of his health problems spread in Japanese politics, fueling speculation about his resignation. Abe previously resigned during his first term in office in 2007, citing ulcerative colitis, a chronic and incurable disease, as the reason. As rumors of Prime Minister Abe's resignation circulated across various sectors in Japan, the Japanese government and the Liberal Democratic Party have been working to dispel these rumors. Even on the morning of the same day, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga dismissed the health rumors at a regular briefing, saying, "Prime Minister Abe remains unchanged."

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