No visa for Korean tourists eyed: Yomiuri

The Japanese Transportation Ministry has decided to allow Korean tourists to enter Japan without visas, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported Thursday.

The visa waiver system for Korean tourists is contained in a plan to create the East Asian Tourism Exchange Bloc before Korea and Japan co-host the 2002 World Cup soccer finals, the daily said.

Korea and Japan already reached a basic agreement on the plan, and National Land Transportation Minister Jikage Ogi of Japan and Culture-Tourism Minister Kim Han-Gill of Korea will sign a memorandum of understanding early next year.

The two countries seek to increase the number of their tourists to 6 million in 2007 a year from the present 3 million by pushing ahead with exchange programs under the envisioned method.

Japan is also examining a plan to allow Korean tourists to undergo entry formalities in Korea before departing for Japan by dispatching immigration officials to Korea.

If this system is implemented, Korean airliners would be able to use Japanese airports other than international airports.