Lee Jae-myung's South Korean presidential inauguration dominated early morning coverage, with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba pledging enhanced bilateral cooperation as the liberal leader emphasized pragmatism and national unity. The transition from yesterday's electoral victory to actual governance marked a shift in regional diplomatic calculations.
Japan's demographic crisis reached a milestone as births fell below 700,000 for the first time since 1899 records began, with the fertility rate dropping to 1.15. The 5.7% decline arrived 14 years ahead of government projections, intensifying concerns about social security sustainability. Media coverage linked the birth crisis to rising welfare applications, which increased for five consecutive years.
Nintendo's Switch 2 launch faced scalping issues despite lottery systems, while corporate governance showed improvement with 55% of companies now disclosing reports before shareholder meetings. The LDP's internal accountability process continued with 29 members facing ethics review over the slush fund scandal.