Abe said he would be seeking a new mandate on his North Korea policy, as well as the use of tax revenue in the upcoming elections, which could take place next month. After a series of scandals hit his popularity, Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) have more recently seen a rise in polling numbers amid escalating tensions with North Korea. North Korea has test-fired two ballistic missile that flew over Japan in the last two weeks, acts which Abe has decried as "intolerable." Abe could also profit from disarray in the main opposition Democratic Party, which is currently trailing the LDP. A number of prominent LDP and Democratic Party members have said that they will switch to the new movement.

Source: The China Post September 25, 2017 21:00 UTC