Tokyo's governor Yoichi Masuzoe resigns over expenses scandal
Revelations that he spent millions on lavish trips and holidays come less than a month before a key election for his party
Yoichi Masuzoe was due to travel to the Olympics in Rio next month as the representative of the next host city. Photograph: Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images
Justin McCurry in Tokyo
Wednesday 15 June 2016 19.40 AEST Last modified on Wednesday 15 June 2016 23.24 AEST
The governor of Tokyo, Yoichi Masuzoe, has resigned following revelations about his profligate spending habits in a scandal that risked damaging the political fortunes of the country’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe.
Masuzoe had resisted calls to resign during weeks of media coverage of his lavish use of political funds – some of which comes from Tokyo’s taxpayers – on travel, accommodation and gifts.
His problems began in April, when a weekly magazine revealed he had used official cars to make dozens of family trips to his holiday home at a hot-spring resort south of Tokyo. Last month, he admitted recording private hotel and restaurant bills as work-related.
It was also revealed that he had spent more than 200m yen (£1.32m) on eight overseas trips during his two years in office.
A weeklong trip to Paris and London late last year in connection with Tokyo’s preparations for the 2020 Olympics cost about 50m yen, with Masuzoe flying first-class and staying in luxury suites. Expenses for that trip included more than 9m yen on hotel bills and 14.4m yen in air fares for Masuzoe and his delegation.
There was widespread consternation when it was reported that he had used political funds to buy artworks and comics.
While the 67-year-old, whose four-year term was supposed to run until 2018, denied breaking any laws, he faced a barrage of criticism over his love of the high life while many of Tokyo’s 13.5 million people tighten their belts.
Although Masuzoe insisted he would not step down after lawyers found his spending had been inappropriate but not illegal, his fate was sealed after the LDP officials privately urged him to quit hours before a no-confidence motion put forward by all the major parties in the Tokyo assembly.
His departure comes weeks before he was due to take part in the handover of the Olympic flag at the Games’ closing ceremony in Rio de Janeiro .. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/olympic-games-2016 .. in his role as leader of the event’s next host city.
Masuzoe had been a critic of the ballooning costs of hosting the Olympics, and successfully pressured organisers into moving the venues for some events to other locations instead of building new facilities.
“He had a strong emotional attachment to the Games and spoke passionately about making them a success,” Yuko Arakida, a member of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee, was quoted as saying by the Kyodo news agency.
“Because of his foreign language proficiency, he brought social skills. [His resignation] is extremely regrettable.”
Masuzoe’s resignation is likely to take effect on 21 June, with an election for his successor expected in late July or early August.
2 Former Aides of Park Arrested as S. Korea Scandal Widens
"High-level inter-Korean talks fail to reach agreement"
By tong-hyung kim, associated press
SEOUL, South Korea — Nov 5, 2016, 11:30 PM ET
The Associated Press South Korean high school students hold up their cards during a rally calling for South Korean President Park Geun-hye to step down in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016. Tens of thousands of South Koreans are expected to march in Seoul to demand President Park's resignation on Saturday, a day after she took blame for a "heartbreaking" scandal and rising suspicion that she allowed a mysterious confidante to manipulate power from the shadows. The letters read "Park Geun-hye should step down." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Park has issued consecutive apologies following suspicion that she allowed her longtime friend and daughter of a late cult leader to manipulate power from the shadows. But the apologies did little to assuage simmering public anger, which culminated in the largest anti-government rally in the capital in nearly a year on Saturday when tens of thousands of people demanded that Park step down.
The Seoul Central District Court granted prosecutors' request for the arrest of Ahn Jong-beom, Park's former senior secretary for policy coordination who is suspected of pressuring companies into making large donations to nonprofit organizations controlled by Park's friend, court spokesman Shin Jae-hwan said.
The court also issued an arrest warrant for Jung Ho-sung, another former presidential aide accused of passing on classified presidential documents to Choi Soon-sil, whose close relationship with Park triggered the scandal.
Prosecutors on Sunday also summoned for questioning Woo Byung-woo, former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs who has been blamed for failing to prevent Choi from influencing state affairs and is embroiled in separate corruption allegations surrounding his family.
Park has admitted that she sent drafts of her speeches to Choi for editing. However, she avoided more damning allegations raised by the media that Choi perhaps meddled in important government decisions on policy and personnel. Choi was arrested earlier in the week on charges of abuse of authority and attempted fraud.
Tens of thousands of people rallied in Seoul on Saturday calling for the resignation of Park. But opposition parties, demanding that Park to step away from domestic affairs and transfer the duties to a prime minister picked by the parliament, have yet to make a serious push for Park's resignation or impeachment over concerns of negatively impacting next year's presidential race.
Holding banners, candles and colorful signs that read "Park Geun-hye out" and "Treason by a secret government," a sea of demonstrators filled a large square in front of an old palace gate and nearby streets, singing and thunderously applauding speeches calling for the ouster of the increasingly unpopular conservative president.
They shifted into a slow march in streets around City Hall, shouting "Arrest Park Geun-hye," "'Step down, criminal" and "We can't take this any longer," before moving back to the square and cheering on more speeches that continued into the night.
"Park should squarely face the prosecution's investigation and step down herself. If she doesn't, politicians should move to impeach her," said Kim Seo-yeon, one of the many college students who participated in the protest. "She absolutely lost all authority as president over the past few weeks."
Choi Kyung-ha, a mother of three, said her children asked her who Choi was "and whether she's the real president, and I couldn't provide an answer."
Police estimated the crowd at 45,000, although protest organizers said about 200,000 people turned out.
Park has tried to stabilize the situation by firing eight aides and nominating three new top Cabinet officials, including the prime minister, but opposition parties have described her personnel reshuffles as a diversionary tactic.
One national poll released Friday had Park's approval rating at 5 percent, the lowest for any president in South Korea .. http://abcnews.go.com/topics/news/south-korea.htm .. since the country achieved democracy in the late 1980s following decades of military dictatorship.
Opposition parties, sensing weakness, immediately threatened to push for her ouster if she doesn't distance herself from domestic affairs and transfer the duties to a prime minister chosen by parliament. The parties have also called for a separate investigation into the scandal led by a special prosecutor.
Park has 15 months left in her term. If she resigns, an election must be held within 60 days.
News 
Market Data 
Discover 
AI
