Former Prime Minister Abe's Family Funeral on the 12th... Government and LDP Joint Funeral Likely to Be Held Later

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (67) was shot and killed by a man while giving a street speech for the House of Councillors election in Nara Prefecture on the 8th. The photo shows former Prime Minister Abe at a press conference at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Japan on October 23, 2017. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] The funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scheduled to be held as a family funeral on the 12th.

Local media such as TBS and FNN reported on the 9th that a member of the largest faction within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party led by former Prime Minister Abe, known as the "Abe faction," said this.

On the 11th, the day after the House of Councillors election, relatives and acquaintances will hold a tsuya (通夜, overnight vigil) to comfort the bereaved family, followed by the funeral on the 12th.

Since Abe was Japan's longest-serving prime minister, having served a total of 8 years and 9 months over two terms, it is expected that, following precedent, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will serve as the funeral committee chairman and the government and the LDP will jointly host the funeral.

The funeral of former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone in 2020 was also held as a joint government and LDP family funeral, with then-Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga serving as the funeral committee chairman.

A senior official from the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated the previous day regarding the possibility of dispatching a condolence delegation to Abe’s funeral, "Since the Japanese side is also preparing, the government will review how to respond to that."

Former Prime Minister Abe was shot and collapsed while campaigning on the streets in Nara City around 11:30 a.m. on the 8th. He was transported to the hospital but died at 5:03 p.m. the same day due to excessive bleeding. After an autopsy, the body was moved on the 9th from Nara Prefectural Medical University Hospital in Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture, to his residence in Tokyo.

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