Abe "Decides to Resign as Prime Minister Due to Recurrence of Chronic Illness"... Official Resignation Announcement (Update)

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe officially announced his resignation at a press conference held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence on the afternoon of the 28th, stating, "I have decided to resign due to a relapse of my chronic illness." Prime Minister Abe revealed that he decided to resign after a month of deliberation due to the relapse of his chronic ulcerative colitis, and he even showed tears during the press conference.

At the press conference held at 5 p.m. on the 28th at the Prime Minister's Official Residence, Prime Minister Abe addressed the reports by Japanese media about his intention to resign. He stated, "My chronic illness, ulcerative colitis, relapsed from early August, making it difficult to continue my duties, so I have expressed my intention to resign," and explained the reason for his resignation, saying, "I judged that continuing to work while undergoing treatment could lead to poor political decisions."

Before the press conference, Prime Minister Abe conveyed his intention to resign to the executives of both the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the coalition Komeito Party. According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, the Abe Cabinet is expected to resign en masse once the new LDP president is decided. The LDP presidential election is expected to be held next month. Just before the press conference, at an emergency board meeting held at the LDP headquarters, Abe said, "My ulcerative colitis relapsed, and I was undergoing new treatment. Since I need to continue treatment for a certain period and there is a risk of worsening, I decided to resign."

At the LDP emergency board meeting, Prime Minister Abe entrusted the timing and format of the party presidential election to select his successor to Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai. Secretary-General Nikai stated that he would review the matter as quickly as possible and decide at the party convention.

Previously, during his first term in office in September 2007, Prime Minister Abe also suddenly resigned after one year in office due to his chronic ulcerative colitis. Since undergoing lengthy examinations at Keio University Hospital in Tokyo on the 17th and 24th of this month, rumors about his health problems and resignation have circulated in Japanese political circles.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.