WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 Kyodo U Secre...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 Kyodo

U Secretary of State Colin Powell onward Friday congratulated new southern Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Ban Ki secondary planet on his appointment, the State Department said Friday.

''He talked this morning with the fresh minister, Mr. Ban, and congratulated him in succession his appointment, and said he examineed forward to working with him,'' State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters.

''They talked a little bit about by what means they would both work to further improve U.S.-Korean relations, which are already with equal reason close,'' he said.

southward Korean President Roh Moo Hyun forward Friday named his foreign policy adviser Ban as the of the present day foreign minister. Ban replaced Yoon Young Kwan, who resigned Thursday in a discussion over policies toward the United States.

novels reports in South Korea have said that several officials in the ministry's North American Affairs Bureau criticized as unrealistic Roh's policy of seeking independence from Washington upon key foreign issues.

one members of Roh's National Security Council accused Yoon of leaning too a great deal of toward the U.S., the reports have said.

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