Japan PM Abe mulls snap election amid North Korea crisis

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is considering calling a snap election amid the North Korean nuclear crisis, local media reported Tuesday, citing his party's top official.

The premier also told Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) secretary general Toshihiro Nikai on Monday that he would decide on the date of the election after returning from the UN General Assembly later this week, the Kyodo News agency reported. The hawkish leader's approval ratings has recovered, polls showed, while many Japanese are concerned about a series of provocations by North Korea. He was also taking advantage of disarray in the main opposition Democratic Party. Abe, who took office in December 2012, is considering dissolving the House of Representatives on September 28, when the extraordinary parliamentary session is convened, Kyodo reported, citing unnamed LDP sources. If so, official campaigning for the general election would start on October 10 and voters would cast their ballots on October 22, the report said.Critics say Abe has yet to resolve recent scandals involving himself, which had caused support for his administration to plunge in August.The premier's office has been accused of having put pressure on the Education Ministry to push ahead with a controversial university project involving his longtime friend Kotaro Kake.