Japanese diplomat Yukiya Amano's election as the next director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is headlining Japanese newspapers.

Amano is the first Japanese to head the atomic energy watchdog agency, which was established in 1957.

Japanese media said that the selection is meaningful, since Japan is the world's only country to have been attacked with atomic weapons. The 145-member IAEA seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

The country’s news outlets expect the new IAEA head, who will assume his position December first, to resolve nuclear issues with North Korea and Iran and strengthen a nonproliferation and disarmament system with strong leadership.