Abe admits to political missteps as his support ratings plunge

Tokyo

THROWN into defensive mode by a fresh scandal involving allegations of political impropriety and by a plunge in his government's popularity, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday pledged to take steps to restore public trust in his administration.

At the same time, he promised to reinvigorate his Abenomics policies and place particular emphasis on human resource development and creating high-quality jobs in Japan.

"We must calmly explain each policy one by one so that we can win the trust of Japanese citizens," Mr Abe told a news conference on Monday which came after the end of parliament's latest…