South Korea welcomes 'anti-Abe' Ishiba as Japan's new leader

TOKYO -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his administration must have breathed a sigh of relief at the election of Shigeru Ishiba as leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party -- and thus the country's new prime minister -- during a hotly contested party vote on Sept. 27.

Both the U.S. and China seem to have some apprehension about Ishiba's security policy due to his previous comments on the matter. However, Japan's former defense minister has gained popularity in South Korea as someone who stood up to Shinzo Abe, a former prime minister labeled by many South Koreans as a "historical revisionist" and a "far-right politician."