Japan plans to replace its point man on Korean affairs next month in a routine personnel management reshuffle, media reports said Friday.

  Kimihiro Ishikane, head of the foreign ministry's international legal affairs bureau, will be appointed to lead the Asian and Oceanian affairs bureau, according to Kyodo News Service.

   Ishikane, formerly the ambassador to ASEAN, is to succeed Junichi Ihara, who is expected to take up an ambassadorial post abroad.

   He will likely become Japan's new negotiator in talks with South Korea on the "comfort women" issue. Seoul wants Tokyo to apologize for its sexual enslavement of Korean women during World War II and offer reparations to the victims.

   He is also to serve as Japan's top delegate to the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program if they resume.

   Diplomatic sources expect no big impact to the sensitive negotiations between the neighboring countries as a deal appears to depend on a "political decision" by their leaders.

   The Asian and Oceanian affairs bureau at Japan's foreign ministry covers South and North Korea, China, Mongolia, ASEAN, Australia, New Zealand and some other nations. (Yonhap)