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Japanese defense minister resigns over remarks on atomic bombing |
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14:05, July 03, 2007 |
Japanese Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma resigned on Tuesday to take responsibility of his controversial remarks on the U.S. atomic bombing.
Kyuma told reporters after meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in early afternoon that his resignation was accepted, local media reported.
Kyuma said he decided to resign because "it seems to be difficult to gain public
understanding." He also expressed his worry about the negative influence the mess may bring to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, to which he himself belongs, in the upcoming upper house election.
According to Kyodo News, atomic bomb survivors in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the only two cities which have suffered from atomic bombing in the world, said Kyuma deserve the resignation, which came too late.
Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue paid a visit to Kyuma earlier in the day and lodged a protest against his weekend comments.
During his speech on Saturday in Chiba Prefecture, Kyuma said that the U.S. atomic bombing "brought the war to its end" and was something "could not be helped."
Despite apologizing for and taking back his words on the following day, his remarks, comprehended as a justification of the atomic bombing, drew fire from opposition parties and sparked protest especially in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Among voices calling for Kyuma's stepping down, Abe on Monday warned Kyuma to be cautious about his words.
Source: Xinhua
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