(LEAD) S. Korea, U.S. set for high-level talks on N. Korea

(ATTN: ADDS date in 2nd para)
By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, May 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan will visit
Washington late next week for talks with his U.S. counterpart Hillary Clinton to
discuss ways to deal with North Korea's military threats, Yu's aides said Friday.

Yu and Clinton will meet on June 5 (Korean time) to coordinate responses to
Pyongyang's nuclear test and also fine-tune agenda for the summit between
President Lee Myung-bak and President Barack Obama set for June 16 in the U.S.
capital, they added. The Lee-Obama summit, the second of its kind, is likely to
focus on bolstering the two nations' alliance against the North's provocative
steps.
"Minister Yu will head to Washington shortly after the South Korea-ASEAN
Commemorative Summit (on June 1-2)," a foreign ministry official said, asking not
to be named before a formal announcement of the schedule. "Yu will return to
South Korea a few days later."
The minister will be accompanied by Seoul's top nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lac, he
added. Wi is scheduled to meet with Stephen Bosworth, the U.S. representative for
North Korea policy, and his assistant Sung Kim.
North Korea conducted its second underground nuclear test this week, believed to
be more powerful than the previous one in 2006, and warned of military conflict
with South Korea in anger over Seoul's decision to join the U.S.-led
counterproliferation drive, Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI).
The U.N. Security Council is debating the level of punishment against the North's
nuclear test. The U.S. and Japan drafted a resolution calling for far-reaching
sanctions.
U.N. diplomats said the 15-member council is expected to reach a compromise early
next week.
"Minister Yu and Secretary Clinton will discuss the next step if the resolution is
produced," the official said.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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