President Lee to Takaichi After LDP Landslide: "May Our Two Countries Continue Deep Cooperation"

Congratulatory message delivered via social media
"Looking forward to welcoming you to Korea in the next round of shuttle diplomacy"

President Lee Jaemyung told Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who led the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to a landslide victory in Japan's general election, "I sincerely congratulate you on your victory."

On the 9th, President Lee wrote on X with this congratulatory message, "I hope that Japan will further prosper under your leadership." In his post, President Lee mentioned Prime Minister Takaichi's account and provided the message in Japanese as well.

President Lee went on to say, "Through the Korea-Japan summit held last January in Nara, Japan, our two countries took a vigorous first step together toward the next 60 years," adding, "I hope that, based on our trust and bonds, Korea and Japan will continue to pursue broader and deeper cooperation."

He added, "I look forward to welcoming you to Korea in the near future through the next round of shuttle diplomacy."

Earlier, in the House of Representatives election (general election) held on the 8th, Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party achieved a historic landslide victory, buoyed by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's "idol-level popularity." With the ruling party securing a dominant majority of seats, it is expected that momentum will build for "Sanaenomics" (Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's economic stimulus policy) and for promoting a constitutional amendment bill that would explicitly state the existence of the Self-Defense Forces in Article 9 of the Constitution.

The Liberal Democratic Party secured 316 seats, more than two-thirds of the total 465 seats in the House of Representatives. Its coalition partner, Nippon Ishin no Kai, won 36 seats. This exceeds the previous record of 300 seats that the Liberal Democratic Party won in a general election under the administration of Nakasone Yasuhiro in 1986. Under Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, the total number of seats was the same as now, but the party did not reach 300 seats.

It is reported that this is the first time since the end of the Pacific War that a single party has independently held more than two-thirds of the seats in the House of Representatives in Japan. Excluding the Liberal Democratic Party, no other party has more than 50 seats.