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JAPAN/SOUTH KOREA: Comfort women ruling drives new wedge in relationship

JAPAN/SOUTH KOREA: Comfort women ruling drives new wedge in relationship | Speevr

The Japanese government swiftly rejected an 8 January ruling by the Seoul Central District Court that it must pay compensation to a group of surviving wartime sexual slaves known as “comfort women,” citing sovereign immunity and the terms of the 1965 basic treaty between Japa…   Become a member to read the rest of this […]

JAPAN: Suga on the defensive as government prepares new state of emergency

JAPAN: Suga on the defensive as government prepares new state of emergency | Speevr

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga held his first press conference of the year on Monday, 4 January, in which he indicated that his government is considering declaring a state of emergency as early as Thursday, 7 January. Suga’s handling of the pandemic has contributed to a s…   Become a member to read the rest of […]

JAPAN: New budget shows deficit spending will continue as pandemic recedes

JAPAN: New budget shows deficit spending will continue as pandemic recedes | Speevr

The Suga cabinet approved its draft FY2021 budget on Monday, 21 December, which for the third-straight year topped JPY 100tn (USD 966.6bn), climbing to a record high of roughly JPY 106tn (USD 1.02tn). While the top priority is providing fiscal stimulus for Japan’s Covid-19-stri…   Become a member to read the rest of this article

JAPAN: Suga puts political needs first in new missile defense plan

JAPAN: Suga puts political needs first in new missile defense plan | Speevr

The Suga cabinet approved a new missile defense plan on Friday, 18 December, replacing the previous plan suspended earlier this year to deploy an Aegis Ashore missile defense system purchased from the US. The new plan highlights the cross-cutting pressures on the Japanese governm…   Become a member to read the rest of this article

ASIA: Suga and Moon face rising disapproval as case numbers surge

ASIA: Suga and Moon face rising disapproval as case numbers surge | Speevr

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and South Korean President Moon Jae-in are both struggling with eroding political support as their countries face their most significant increases in Covid-19 cases thus far. While in recent weeks Moon has recorded some of his lowest ap…   Become a member to read the rest of this article

JAPAN: Suga puts his stamp on economic policy in new stimulus package

JAPAN: Suga puts his stamp on economic policy in new stimulus package | Speevr

The Suga administration has unveiled a new stimulus package, the third stimulus package to counter the impact of Covid-19. While the new stimulus package is smaller than the first two, it includes a significant sum of money aimed at post-pandemic structural transformation. …   Become a member to read the rest of this article

JAPAN: Suga heads into parliamentary recess facing political headwinds

JAPAN: Suga heads into parliamentary recess facing political headwinds | Speevr

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga heads into a parliamentary recess with his approval ratings having fallen sharply. Suga’s falling approval ratings likely reflect growing disapproval of his handling of Covid-19 and perhaps also the reemergence of a political finance scandal tha…   Become a member to read the rest of this article

JAPAN: Third wave scrambles Suga’s political calculations

JAPAN: Third wave scrambles Suga’s political calculations | Speevr

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s government has continued to seek a balance between infection control and support for economic recovery even as new Covid-19 cases have surged and hospitalization rates have climbed. Public disapproval of Suga’s handling of the pandemic may be …   Become a member to read the rest of this article

SOUTH KOREA/JAPAN: Moon seeks forced labor truce in Olympic diplomacy bid

SOUTH KOREA/JAPAN: Moon seeks forced labor truce in Olympic diplomacy bid | Speevr

South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s administration has continued its diplomatic overtures to the Japanese government after sending National Intelligence Service (NIS) director Park Jie-won to Tokyo for talks with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and other senior leaders earlier t…   Become a member to read the rest of this article

JAPAN: Suga looks vulnerable after changing course on subsidies

JAPAN: Suga looks vulnerable after changing course on subsidies | Speevr

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced after a meeting of his government’s Covid-19 response headquarters on Saturday, 21 November that, as expected, his government would suspend or scale back the “Go To” programs for subsidizing domestic travel and dining out. However advisab…   Become a member to read the rest of this article