Nuclear envoys from S. Korea, China hold talks amid Gaeseong impasse

The top nuclear envoys from South Korea and China held talks on Thursday, with Seoul and Pyongyang continuing to haggle over the fate of a troubled joint economic venture facing permanent closure.

Lim Sung-nam, chief South Korean envoy to the six-party talks on the North's nuclear program, met his Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei and discussed a full range of issues on North Korea, a diplomatic source here said.

The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Lim and Wu reaffirmed efforts for denuclearization of North Korea and reached a consensus on the need to build an atmosphere of dialogue with the North.

However, Wu told Lim that Bejing has no plan to send a special envoy to North Korea, according to the source.

Upon arrival in Beijing on Wednesday, Lim told reporters that his discussions with Chinese officials were expected to cover the joint inter-Korean industrial complex in the North's border city of Kaesong, which is on the brink of shutdown.

On Thursday, the two Koreas met for the sixth day in a row to try to resolve wages, taxes and other outstanding issues related to the Kaesong Industrial Complex. Seven South Korean officials and workers are currently staying there.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have been high since the North's third nuclear test in February. (Yonhap News)