Japanese former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, a favorite in opinion polls to become the next prime minister, will run in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership election, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported on Monday, citing members of Ishiba's faction. 

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has also indicated he intends to run in the race, according to a source with the direct knowledge of the matter.

Ishiba is the most popular choice among the public to be the next prime minister, media opinion polls showed, as the race started to succeed Shinzo Abe after his abrupt resignation last week. 

Ishiba said Monday he was popular because he presented a break from the current administration, underscoring his differences with longtime Abe aide Suga, a key contender backed by several LDP factions.

He also said Tokyo should deepen ties with Asian neighbors. "For example, does Japan have a relationship of trust with Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, or Singapore?" asked Ishiba. "We must build political, cultural, or security relationships of trust with Asia," he added.

"You can't say that because we don't like each other, we won't work together. South Korea is a very important country from the standpoint of Japan's national security," said Ishiba, adding that Japan should "work hard to get to know South Korea better." 

He also expressed concern about the lack of communication with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea: "We should create liaison offices in Tokyo and Pyongyang," he said.

Ishiba has about 34 percent of the public's support, more than double the 14 percent for Suga, the second-most popular choice, a weekend Kyodo News survey showed. 

A Nikkei/TV Tokyo poll showed Ishiba with 28 percent support, followed by current Defense Minister Taro Kono with 15 percent and Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi – son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi – at 14 percent. Suga came in fourth place with 11 percent, the poll showed. 

Another potential candidate, LDP policy chief Fumio Kishida, came in last place in both of the public opinion surveys. The mild-mannered former foreign minister is considered Abe's personal choice for successor.

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The surveys highlight a split between public opinion and internal LDP politics. 

Suga – a longtime lieutenant of Abe's in a key supporting role – is expected to get the backing of the faction led by LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai and of other major factions, local media reported, putting him in a favorable position. 

That would make it an uphill battle for Ishiba, a vocal Abe critic who unsuccessfully challenged the outgoing premier in the last LDP leadership race in 2018, and is considered less popular within the party. 

Abe's resignation announcement on Friday, citing the worsening of a chronic illness, set the stage for the party leadership election, which will take place on September 14. The LDP president is virtually assured of being prime minister because of the party's majority in the lower house of parliament.

Finance Minister Taro Aso, himself a former prime minister and long considered a likely successor to Abe, has announced he will not stand. 

Abe's successor could be a caretaker figure given that the LDP will hold another leadership election in September 2021, with general elections likely the following month. 

(With input from Reuters, AFP)