Over 5,000 Gather for Koizumi's Weekend Street Speech
Suga, Former Prime Minister, Officially Declares Support
Koizumi Former PM's Second Son Gains High Public Popularity
Ahead of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership election to decide the next Prime Minister of Japan, former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (小泉進次?, 43) emerged as the top candidate deemed most suitable for the party presidency.
According to a public opinion poll conducted by the private TBS-affiliated JNN on the 7th and 8th and released on the 9th, among the 12 candidates who have announced or expressed intention to run in the LDP leadership election, former Environment Minister Koizumi was chosen as the most suitable candidate with 28.5%. The second place went to former LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba (石破茂, 67) with 23.1%, and third place was Sanae Takaichi (高市早苗, 63), Minister of Economic Security, with 9.2%. The top three rankings remained unchanged even among LDP supporters. There was a gap of more than 10 percentage points between former Environment Minister Koizumi and former Secretary-General Ishiba.
Former Japanese Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi held a press conference in Tokyo on the 6th to announce his candidacy for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party leadership election scheduled for the 27th. Former Environment Minister Koizumi is the second son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. [Photo by AFP·Yonhap News]
With former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga officially declaring his support, the momentum behind the "40s generation" Koizumi is expected to grow stronger. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun on the 9th, at a street speech in Yokohama city the previous day, former Prime Minister Suga appeared alongside Koizumi, who had declared his candidacy for the party presidency, and officially expressed his support by saying, "I would like to entrust the role of helmsman of Japan to you in this leadership election. I support you." Former Prime Minister Suga also appealed to the citizens, saying, "I ask for your great strength and enthusiasm."
As a non-factional politician, former Prime Minister Suga has previously indicated to those around him his intention to support Koizumi, who has operated without belonging to any specific faction, in the election, but this was the first time he clearly stated it in public. Holding the microphone, Koizumi emphasized, "I am being asked whether the LDP can truly change," adding, "I will push reforms with overwhelming speed." He also stressed, "I will carry out unreserved regulatory reforms to create new industries in Japan," and "I will set a one-year deadline and work with full force."
Having officially declared his candidacy for the LDP leadership election, which effectively decides the next Prime Minister of Japan, on the 6th, Koizumi began early momentum-building by holding street speeches for two consecutive days on the 7th and 8th. Despite late summer heat exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, about 5,000 people gathered for his speech in Ginza, central Tokyo, on the 7th, and approximately 7,000 attended his speech in Yokohama the previous day, local media reported, reflecting his popular appeal.
Junichiro Koizumi, former Japanese Prime Minister's second son and former Environment Minister Koizumi, is highly popular among the public due to his young age of 43 this year and handsome appearance. Especially since the end of last year, amid the Liberal Democratic Party's low approval ratings due to a slush fund scandal, former Environment Minister Koizumi has been attracting attention both inside and outside the party by calling for reform. [Photo by Kyodo News and Yonhap News]
Shinjiro Koizumi, the second son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, is 43 years old this year and enjoys high popularity due to his youthful age and handsome appearance. Especially since the end of last year, amid the LDP’s low approval ratings caused by a slush fund scandal, Koizumi has attracted attention both inside and outside the party by calling for reforms. First elected to the House of Representatives in 2009 and now a five-term lawmaker, Koizumi has no experience as a cabinet minister or major LDP executive other than his tenure as Environment Minister, and his lighthearted remarks have been criticized as a weakness.
In particular, during his time as Environment Minister in 2019, he sparked controversy domestically and internationally by saying that "climate change issues should be addressed in a fun, cool, and sexy way," which was considered an excessively casual expression. In South Korea, he was mockingly nicknamed "FunCoolSexy." In response, at a press conference on the 6th when declaring his candidacy for the party presidency, Koizumi was asked, "What do you think about the criticism of your lighthearted remarks during your ministerial tenure?" He replied, "I reflect on the fact that my statements as Environment Minister were not properly conveyed," and emphasized, "I will make efforts to clearly communicate my intentions to the public so that such misunderstandings do not happen again."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
