New Japan PM Takaichi expresses fondness for South Korean culture

FILE PHOTO: Japanese lawmakers, including Sanae Takaichi, centre left, visit the Yasukuni Shrine to pay respect to the war dead on the day of the 69th anniversary of the end of the World War II, in Tokyo, on Aug. 15, 2014. Takaichi has regularly visited the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, a source of diplomatic friction with South Korea and China due to its links with Japan’s wartime past. - AP

TOKYO: Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday (Oct 21) sought to allay concerns that relations with South Korea could be affected under her leadership, as she expressed her fondness for South Korean food and culture, Kyodo news reported

"I love South Korea’s seaweeds and I also use South Korean cosmetics. I watch South Korean dramas as well,” said Takaichi during a late-night press conference after she was elected prime minister earlier in the day.