The North Korean ferry Mangyongbong-92 is scheduled to arrive Thursday for a another visit to Niigata port, prefectural officials said Tuesday.
But the Niigata Prefectural Government could refuse permission for the port call under an ordinance revised in July if the transport ministry finds fault with documents to be submitted in advance by the ship's operator, the officials said.
The Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry has arranged for officials to be on duty around the clock so they can examine the documents as soon as they are faxed by the operator, ministry officials said.
The operator is required to submit documents reporting that minor safety problems discovered when the ship called on Aug. 25 have been fixed.