Japan prime minister won’t step down over pension dispute

TOKYO — Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi missed premium payments into Japan’s troubled pension system, his office said Friday, implicating him in the damaging scandal that already has forced the resignations of his top lieutenant and the No. 1 opposition leader.

The prime minister, who skipped payments for a total of about 6 1/2 years, said he had no intention of resigning as he had opted out of the system at a time when he was not required to join.

“If I didn’t have to join the system, how can they be called missed payments?” Koizumi asked in a meeting with reporters. “I paid all my dues when it was compulsory.”

The admission was seen as politically survivable because Koizumi skipped premiums before 1986, when joining the system became compulsory for lawmakers. He has paid fully during his time as prime minister.

Members of the opposition Democratic Party called for Koizumi’s resignation, citing his previous declarations that he had paid in full.

“He outright lied to the public. Not just as prime minister, but as a public official. He should quit,” said Senior Democratic lawmaker Katsuya Okada.

The public, too, showed signs of exasperation after dozens of similar disclosures by top lawmakers at a time when the government is cutting benefits and increasing premiums to save the system from collapse as the society ages.

“I’m not satisfied with his explanation — we’re all being forced to pay,” said Takashi Ishimoto, 49, a company employee. “I think he should quit. As leader, his integrity has to be complete.”

Two week ago, Koizumi’s right-hand man, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda, stepped down after acknowledging he had unwittingly missed payments. Naoto Kan, leader of the opposition Democratic Party, followed suit on Monday.