SINGAPORE (AP) - Singapore's attorney general is seeking to sue the editors of The Wall Street Journal Asia and the newspaper's owner, Dow Jones Publishing Co., over two stories and a letter on the city-state's judiciary.

A statement by the attorney general's office said Thursday it has applied for court permission to start contempt-of-court proceedings against Dow Jones and the editor and managing editor of the international edition. Dow Jones is part of News Corp.

Articles and a letter to the editor published June 26, July 9 and July 15 "impugn the impartiality, integrity and independence of the Singapore Judiciary," according to the statement.

Representatives of Dow Jones and the Journal could not be immediately reached for comment.

The letter to the editor was written by opposition leader Chee Soon Juan, who has been sued several times by Singapore's leaders. The city-state's leaders have sued journalists and political opponents several times in past years for alleged defamation.

Once a judge is satisfied that there are grounds for a case, a hearing will be set and the defendants notified.