Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono on the back foot after being criticised by his father over North Korea
Japanese media leapt on the story, with the right-wing Sankei newspaper carrying the headline “father-son dispute?”
Japan’s novice foreign minister has a lot on his plate these days with nuclear-armed North Korea firing missiles over his country and US President Donald Trump threatening retaliation. But Taro Kono is now wrestling with his toughest diplomatic challenge yet: his dad.
Japanese media leapt on the story, with the right-wing Sankei newspaper carrying the headline “father-son dispute?”
China is the North’s chief ally and is seen as perhaps the only country that could convince the reclusive state to give up its nuclear weapons and missile programmes.
“I’m not satisfied that enough is being done politically,” the 80-year-old said. “Japan, China and South Korea should unite and persuade North Korea ... The US isn’t the only country that can contain the North.”