Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso has expressed his dissatisfaction with South Korean and Chinese policies toward North Korea, according to Japanese media on Thursday.
Speaking to the budget committee at the House of Councilors on Wednesday, Japan's top diplomat was quoted as saying, "South Korea and China are helping North Korea. I can't understand why they do so?"
He was responding to opposition lawmakers' questions on how Tokyo aims to resolve the issue of Japanese civilians kidnapped by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s.
The issue has become the biggest stumbling block to normalizing diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Aso took issue with the two friendly nations' increasing trade volume with North Korea despite a sharp decrease in Japan's trade with the isolated communist country.
According to Japan's Foreign Ministry, trade between North Korea and Chine soared to $1.6 billion last year from $480 million in 2004.
Inter-Korean trade jumped 51.5 percent year-on-year to $1.06 billion in 2005, as South Korea is also continuing its efforts to engage the North.
But Japan's trade with North Korea has shrunk from $460 million to $190 million.