TOKYO, Dec. 1 (Xinhuanet) -- Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is expected to announce a government plan to waive visas for South Korean tourists when he meets South Korean President RohMoo Hyun on December 17-18 in Japan.

    According to NHK's news channel, the waiver is due to take effect from the fall of next year. South Korea will become the fourth in Asia with which Japan has regular visa waiver arrangements, following Brunei, Singapore and Hong Kong.

    Overall, Japan waives tourist visas for residents of 58 countries and regions, the TV report said.

    The envisioned announcement is planned to have the visa waiver coincide with the 40th anniversary next year of Japan-South Korea normalizing bilateral ties, it said.

    Japan currently waives visas for South Korean students visitingJapan on school excursions, and plans to temporarily waive visas for South Korean tourists visiting Japan for the World Exposition in Aichi Prefecture from March to September 2005.

    The visa waiver will be made permanent if no problems arise, such as an increase in illegal entry, the report said. There were 46,425 South Koreans illegally staying in Japan as of January, it said.

    South Korea already waives visas for Japanese tourists for a stay of up to 30 days. Enditem