New ferry route between Russia, Japan, S Korea opens July 6.

VLADIVOSTOK, June 24 (Itar-Tass) - A new ferry route between Russia, Japan and South Korea will open on July 6, an official of the Primorsky territory industry and transport department told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.

It will link Russia's Vladivostok with Japan's Sakaiminato in the
northern Tottori Prefecture and South Korea's port of Donghai.
The Eastern Dream ferryboat that will service this route has 500
passenger seats and may carry 70 cars and containers.
The ferry will enter Vladivostok once a week, on Tuesdays.
The launch of a new route was initiated by the Primorsky Territory
administration, Tottori Prefecture and South Korea's Gangwon Province. The
talks have been underway since November 2007. However, the route was
finalized at the summit of administration officials of Northeast Asian
countries in Vladivostok last September.
The Primorsky territory administration says the launch of this route
will boost cooperation in trade and tourism. As of March 3, 2009, the new
rules for the stay of foreign tourists who travel by ferry boats entered
into force. They can stay 72 hours on the Russian territory without visas.
This will make Vladivostok and the whole Primorsky territory attractive
for tourists.

-0-isk/gor