REGIONAL tensions rose amid speculation that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi would visit a shrine for war dead tomorrow, on the anniversary of Tokyo’s World War Two surrender, which is seen by critics as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism.

Japan’s rising sun flag flew at the Yasukuni war shrine and tourists thronged today in anticipation of the event of the year – a possible pilgrimage by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

Flooding that may have killed thousands in North Korea is being ignored because of the country’s pariah status after recent missile launches, a South Korean aid group said today as it prepared to ship aid for victims.

North Korea today warned that US moves to build a missile shield were fuelling a dangerous arms race in space, as countries in the region urged the communist nation to halt apparent plans to launch a long-range missile.

South Korea has demanded that North Korea abandons any plans to launch a long-range missile, South Korea’s ruling party said today.

Japanese and South Korean negotiators today raced to avert a clash over a set of disputed islets as Seoul accused Tokyo of neo-colonial ambitions and warned of a possible confrontation at sea.

Lee Hae-chan formally stepped down as South Korea’s prime minister today, a day after the president accepted his resignation following strong opposition criticism over Lee playing golf during a national railway strike.

South Korea’s prime minister offered his resignation today after drawing a firestorm of criticism for playing golf rather than overseeing the government’s response to a railway strike, the president’s spokesman said.

South Korea urged the United States and its allies to be calm following North Korea’s sudden declaration it is a nuclear power, reminding them that blustering and brinkmanship are nothing new in Pyongyang’s toolbox of diplomatic tactics.

The impeachment of South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun will go ahead, the country’s Constitutional Court said today, insisting that it will not be influenced by a stunning parliamentary election win for the party that supports the embattled head of state.

The pro-government Uri Party took a majority in South Korea’s hotly contested parliamentary elections today.

South Koreans voted today in tightly contested parliamentary elections that could determine the future of impeached President Roh Moo-hyun.

South Korea’s two main opposition parties submitted the country’s first ever impeachment motion today in a bid to remove embattled President Roh Moo-hyun for violating election laws.