Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Wednesday he will not seek reelection in his party’s leadership race next month, effectively stepping down amid record-low approval ratings of 15.5%. Kishida’s decision follows sustained public criticism over his handling of two major scandals: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers’ underreporting of funds, including kickbacks and off-the-book revenue from ticket sales for fundraising parties, and the party’s ties with the Unification Church.

During his three-year term, Kishida increased Japan’s defense spending, strengthened security ties with the U.S. and improved relations with South Korea. The LDP leadership race date will be set on Aug. 20. Kishida will remain party leader until the end of his term in September, stepping down when a new leader is elected.