U.S. nuclear envoy in Seoul for talks on stalled 6-way talks

SEOUL, April 1 Kyodo

Top U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill arrived in South Korea on Tuesday for talks with senior South Korean officials on advancing the stalled six-party negotiations on North Korea's nuclear drive.

Hill, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, is scheduled to meet with his South Korean counterpart Chun Yung Woo later Tuesday.

During his three-day stay, Hill is also scheduled to meet with South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kwon Jong Rak and Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Yong Joon.

Hill's visit to South Korea comes amid speculation whether the U.S. envoy will meet with his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye Gwan during his Asian tour.

Upon arriving at Incheon International Airport, Hill said he has no plan to meet with Kim.

When asked about the resumption of the six-party talks, Hill said it ''entirely depends'' on North Korea.

He is scheduled to head to Indonesia on Thursday from Seoul, officials said.

The U.S. envoy is also to make a speech on Wednesday at the inauguration ceremony of Asia Society's Korea Center, a New York-based nonprofit education institution.

The six-party talks came to a standstill after North Korea missed an end-of-2007 deadline to declare its nuclear programs, as it was required to do under a deal with the United States, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia.

The United States has also pressed Pyongyang to come clean on two issues -- North Korea's alleged enrichment of weapons-grade uranium and suspicions that North Korea shared nuclear technology with other countries.

North Korea maintains it has met its obligations under the six-party pact.

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