The threat of nuclear war has hung over the peninsula for years – but it seems the US ambassador’s mustache has got South Koreans bristling with anger. Harry Harris, a former navy admiral who was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and an American navy officer, has been accused of insulting his hosts by growing the controversial adornment. His facial hair reminds many of the days of Japanese colonial rule between 1910 and 1945, during which all eight Japanese governors-general sported mustaches. Tokyo’s rule over the Korean peninsula is a continuing source of resentment in South Korea, whose relations with its neighbor were damaged last year amid disputes over their wartime history. During a protest outside the US Embassy in December, activists plucked the mustache hairs from posters of the ambassador’s face. Talking to reporters, Mr Harris mentioned the public comments about his heritage and the mockery of his moustache – despite many famous Korean historical figures sporting similar facial hair.