New Japanese premier to visit South Korea, US

Japan's prime minister, Yasuhiro Nakasone, starts his first overseas tour next week, hoping to mend diplomatic fences with South Korea and ward off US threats of protectionist trade measures during talks in Washington.

Mr. Nakasone's visit to Seoul, officially announced Wednesday, will be aimed at improving ties strained over the issue of Japanese history textbook revisions and disagreement over economic aid to South Korea. It will be the first official trip of its kind by a Japanese prime minister since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1965.