Seoul’s nuclear envoy makes Beijing visit

Lim Sung-nam, the South Korean chief negotiator to the six-party talks, rushed to Beijing to meet his counterpart Wu Dawei on Thursday afternoon, raising hopes that efforts to resume the stalled six-party nuclear talks could gain momentum with the recent U.S.-North Korea contact in New York.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the two sides will assess the situation on the Korean Peninsula in the aftermath of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s death and also have consultations on the future course of action on Pyongyang’s nuclear program.

“The primary purpose of his visit is to share thoughts not only on the framework of six-party talks but on the overall situation in the aftermath of Kim Jong-il’s death,” a Foreign Ministry official said.

“There will be also a bilateral exchange of opinions on how to deal with the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.”

When asked whether President Lee Myung-bak’s failed phone contact with Chinese President Hu Jintao derived from unsmooth bilateral communication between the two countries, the official said there was no communication problem.

He added that the planned summit between the two is expected to go on as scheduled.

The six-party talks, aimed at halting, rolling back and dismantling Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program involve the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia. The talks stalled in late 2008.

Sources said participating countries are expected to respect the North’s mourning period and take a wait-and-see approach until Washington and Pyongyang meet.

China is chair of the six-party talks as well as North Korea’s closest ally.

By Kim Yoon-mi (yoonmi@heraldcorp.com)