The government announced Monday that Japan's ambassador to South Korea will return to Seoul on Tuesday, ending a months-long protest against the placing of a statue in Busan symbolizing women forced to provide sex in Japanese military brothels before and during World War II.
In a news conference, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said the resumption of Ambassador Yasumasa Nagamine's duties reflected Tokyo's determination to better deal with the ongoing political turmoil in South Korea stemming from the impeachment and arrest of its former president, Park Geun-hye.
"As South Korea is in a political transition, we need to make thorough preparation for the creation of a new leadership, such as by ramping up efforts to collect relevant information," Kishida told reporters. South Korea is headed for an election on May 9 to choose Park's successor.