Shizuka Kamei, a former policy chief of the ruling...

Shizuka Kamei, a former policy chief of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was elected head of a group of 76 Diet members who want to abolish the death penalty in Japan.
Toshiko Hamayotsu, deputy leader of the New Komeito party, was elected deputy head at a meeting of the group attended by legislators from across the political spectrum.
Chyung Dai Chul, a lawmaker from South Korea's ruling Millennium Democratic Party, also attended the session to give a lecture.
On October 30, Chyung and 153 other lawmakers in South Korea from the ruling and opposition parties submitted a bill to abolish the death penalty in their country.
The Diet group was formed in April 1994, and Kamei is the fourth politician to lead it.