Japan vaccine minister Kono to declare LDP leadership run on Fri -Kyodo

FILE PHOTO: Japan's Defence Minister Taro Kono attends a news conference at Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's official residence in Tokyo, Japan September 11, 2019. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese vaccine minister Taro Kono will formally announce on Friday that he is joining the race to lead the ruling party, Kyodo news agency said.

That will make Kono the third candidate to replace Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who last week threw into disarray the contest for leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) with a sudden statement that he would not run.