Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono has reportedly criticized the World Trade Organization's dispute settlement system, saying it failed to function properly in relation to the WTO's ruling that upheld a ban by South Korea on Japanese seafood imports.  

According to Japan's Kyodo News on Wednesday, Kono expressed his regret over the ruling during a meeting with WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo in France. 

In response, Azebedo reportedly said that there is need to promote discussions among WTO member nations regarding the reform of the dispute settlement system and expressed his hopes to cooperate for settling disputes between Seoul and Tokyo. 

Last month, the WTO's appellate body, which has the final say in trade disputes, ruled that South Korea's import restrictions on Japanese seafood following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster were not unfair and did not fall into the category of arbitrary discrimination, overturning the WTO dispute panel's ruling last year.