Japanese Foreign Minister Replacement Expected... "Motegi Likely to Be Appointed LDP Secretary-General"

Motegi Toshimitsu, Japanese Foreign Minister
Photo by EPA Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] With Motegi Toshimitsu, Japan's Foreign Minister, expected to be appointed as the Secretary-General of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, a change in the Foreign Minister position is anticipated.

According to NHK on the 1st, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has decided to appoint Foreign Minister Motegi as the successor to Secretary-General Amari Akira. Kyodo News also reported that Prime Minister Kishida is considering this plan. Accordingly, in the special Diet session convening on the 10th, after Prime Minister Kishida is re-elected as Prime Minister, a new figure is expected to be appointed as Foreign Minister in the second cabinet.

Foreign Minister Motegi was appointed in September 2019 during the Abe Shinzo cabinet and has since maintained his position through the Suga Yoshihide cabinet, which lasted just over a year, and the Kishida cabinet inaugurated on the 4th of last month. He has been practically refusing to meet with Kang Chang-il, South Korea's ambassador to Japan, and has been extremely passive in communication with South Korea, responding belatedly even to contacts from Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong.

Attention is focused on whether the replacement of Japan's Foreign Minister will serve as an opportunity to break the deadlock in Korea-Japan relations and open channels for dialogue between the two countries.

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