S. Korea's chief nuclear envoy arrives in Washington

WASHINGTON/SEOUL (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top nuclear envoy arrived in Washington on Monday for talks with his U.S. counterpart on ways to resume the long-stalled six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

Hwang Joon-kook, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, is scheduled to meet with his counterpart, Glyn Davies, special representative for North Korea policy, on Tuesday. The trip comes only about three months after he last visited Washington to meet Davies.

"While reviewing the overall situation and sharing assessments with the U.S. side with regard to the nuclear issue and North Korea, I will exchange views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula," Hwang told reporters upon arriving in Washington.

"There will also be comprehensive discussions on the way forward, such as issues related to resuming denuclearization talks, the possibility of additional North Korean provocations and ways to respond to them," he said.

His visit to the U.S. was believed to be hastily arranged ahead of South Korea's fall harvest Chuseok holiday that falls on Monday. It also came at a delicate time, when speculation is rising that the U.S. may send a special envoy to the North to win the release of three detained American citizens.

South Korean National Security Adviser Kim Kwan-jin is also expected to visit Washington next week to meet with his counterpart, Susan Rice, for talks on the North Korean issue and other pending bilateral affairs.

The six-party talks, aimed at curbing the North's nuclear ambitions, have been dormant since late 2008, when Pyongyang walked away from the negotiating table. The talks involve the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan.

North Korea has called for an "unconditional" resumption of the talks, but Seoul and Washington insist that Pyongyang first take concrete steps to demonstrate its commitment to give up its nuclear program.