Prime Minister Fumio Kishida apologized for the relationships that have been exposed between ruling party lawmakers and the Unification Church, but many politicians continue to deny knowing anything about their ties to the religious group.
Abe and his party's connection with the Unification Church and the organisation's habit of rendering followers destitute with monetary demands have a role to play.
Since the suspect in the slaying of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed a grudge against the Unification Church, the relationship between the organization and the ruling Liberal Democrat Party is increasingly coming to light.
North Korea and China will "continuously test the resolve" of the U.S.-South Korea alliance, according to the former commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, who described the 69-year-old partnership in remarks over the weekend as the "textbook" example of the vital role long-standing alliances play in maintaining America's strength as a global power.