Seoul's top nuclear negotiator to visit U.S. over N. Korea

SEOUL, Jan. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top negotiator in six-nation talks on
ending North Korea's nuclear ambition will visit Washington this week for talks
with his U.S. counterparts on ways to resume the talks last held over a year ago,
the nuclear negotiator, Wi Sung-lac, said Tuesday.
Wi will embark on a four-day trip Wednesday.
"I will meet with various U.S. officials, including special representative for
North Korea policy Stephen Bosworth," he told reporters.
Wi's trip to the U.S. comes after North Korea on Monday renewed its demand for
the start of separate negotiations with the U.S. and other relevant countries to
formally end the Korean War with a peace treaty.
The 1950-53 war ended only with an armistice, technically leaving the two Koreas
at war.
An official from Seoul's foreign ministry said the chief nuclear negotiator's
U.S. trip was scheduled long before the North first made its call for a peace
treaty last week in a statement, in which it also demanded the removal of
U.N.-imposed sanctions before a resumption of the nuclear negotiations.
"But he will still discuss the North's demands with the U.S. side, as they now
have become important issues," the official said.
The nuclear negotiations involve South and North Korea, the U.S., Japan, China
and Russia.
The talks have been stalled since late 2008. Pyongyang vowed early last year to
permanently quit the negotiations, but following Bosworth's trip to North Korea
last month, it said that it may return to the negotiating table.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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