A Japanese daily says that the major opposition Democratic Party of Japan will submit a bill to parliament on banning the entry of North Korean ships to Japan this week at the earliest.

According to Tuesday's Asahi Shimbun newspaper, the DPJ's bill differs from that of a similar bill being pushed by the ruling camps in that it centers on banning North Korean ships temporarily until the issue of abducted Japanese nationals to the communist state is resolved. The ruling parties want to effectuate a permanent ban on the entry of North Korean vessels into Japanese ports.

The paper said the DPJ's recent move is aimed at differentiating itself from the ruling camps ahead of an election of the House of Councilors.