Japan's ruling coalition loses majority in upper house election

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling coalition lost its majority at the upper house in a parliamentary election this past Sunday.

Our Choi Soo-hyung covers this result and its broader implications.

Japan's ruling coalition has failed to secure a majority in the upper house.

In the election on Sunday, the ruling coalition comprised of the Liberal Democratic Party and its partner Komeito lost its majority gaining only 47 seats.

To keep their majority, the ruling coalition parties needed to win at least 50 seats, adding to the 75 they already held.

But the LDP won just 39, and Komeito got 8, falling short of that target.

Currently, Japan's House of Councilors has 248 members, each serving a 6-year term.

Every three years, half of the seats are up for election and this year, 125 seats were voted on, including one vacant seat in Tokyo.

As a result, the ruling camp now holds 122 seats, while the opposition claimed 126 taking over the upper house.

Following last year's major defeat in the House of Representatives election, the Liberal Democratic Party has lost ground again.

This is the first time since the party was founded in 1955 that the LDP-led government has failed to hold a majority in both the lower and upper houses.

Taking its place is the rising Democratic Party for the People, which advocates a moderate line and gained strong support, winning 17 seats.

The party earned votes with appeals to ordinary people, such as raising take-home pay and lowering insurance costs for young people.

The right-leaning Sanseito won 14 seats by promoting a "Japanese First" policy, including restrictions on foreign land ownership in Japan, despite criticism for discriminating against foreigners.

Voter turnout was 58-point-52 percent, rising more than 6 percentage points compared to three years ago.

Regardless of the election results, experts say bilateral cooperation between South Korea and Japan will remain positive, especially on external threats.

"We need to deal with non-conventional new emerging threats as well, and of course challenges from China technologically, economically, and politically, which is not simple at all. So, having had all these conflicts and threats and challenges surrounding us, I think again, the bilateral relationship will remain pretty much cooperative."

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is now expected to come under pressure to resign after the consecutive defeats.

However, right after exit polls, he stated that he would fulfill his responsibility as the leader of the largest party, showing his determination to remain in office.

Choi Soo-hyung, Arirang News.