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