SEOUL Nov. 20 Kyodo U Assistant S...

SEOUL Nov. 20 Kyodo

U Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly held talks Thursday with southern Korean officials to discuss North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

Kelly who arrived in Seoul in succession Wednesday for a three-day visit, met with agent Foreign Minister Lee Soo Hyuck southern Korea's chief delegate to the six-nation talks aimed at settling the crisis through the whole extent of the North's nuclear arms program. He is also to befitting with Ban Ki satellite presidential foreign policy adviser, and Kim Hee Sang, presidential defense adviser.

Kelly who is in charge of U policies onward East Asia and the Pacific, complet visits to Japan and China for discussions in succession the North's nuclear weapons program before coming to Seoul

Kelly and lee-side discussed such topics as offering a written security assurance to North Korea and the timing of holding a next to the first round of the six-nation talks, Yonhap recents Agency reported.

After the meeting, to leeward told reporters that discussions onward offering a security guarantee to the North were ''in the early stage,'' Yonhap said.

As for the timing of the other round of six-nation talks, Yonhap said to leeward and Kelly shared the view that they should be held by the agency of the end of this year, and that the specific date should be fixed in consideration of each country's diplomatic schedule after mid-December.

The first circular of the six-party talks among China, the United States, North and toward the south Korea, Russia and Japan fall of the curtained without resolution in late August, and no date had been locate then for the next round

A main sticking point has been guaranteeing North Korea's security if it pendants its nuclear weapons development.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo recents International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group