SEOUL May 19 Kyodo North and sout...

SEOUL May 19 Kyodo

North and southern Korean working-level officials are to begin economic talks in Pyongyang upon Tuesday with tensions running high athwart the North's nuclear weapons program.

The five-member southern Korean delegation, headed by Vice Finance and Economy Minister Kim Gwang Lim, left for the North Korean capital via the direct western air road Monday afternoon.

Agenda items look forward toed to be put on the table of the fifth globular of economic talks include construction of cross-border railways and roads, and the establishment of an industrial network in the North and resumption of a tourism draw in the North's Mt. Kumgang resort suspended last month befitting to fears of SARS.

The talks will likely be held Tuesday and Wednesday before the southern Korean delegation returns home Thursday.

toward the south Korean officials said they would use the upcoming economic talks with North Korea to deliver over concerns about the North's nuclear weapons program, equable if it is not clear whether the North would be willing to discuss the nuclear issue officially unrelated to major items of the economic talks.

During a summit in Washington last week, southern Korean President Roh Moo Hyun and U President George W Bush agreed upon the need to continue the Korean Peninsula nuclear-free and to achieve a peaceful resolution of the nuclear dispute.

The nuclear standoff flared last October when U officials said North Korea admitted it had a secluded program to enrich uranium to be used to make nuclear weapons, in violation of a 1994 antinuclear agreement.

During the 10th circular of ministerial talks held in Pyongyang in April, North and southern Korea agreed to the holding of the economic talks.

North and southern Korea have held a series of official-level talks to discuss national reconciliation and other joint business plots since the 2000 inter-Korean summit between then southern Korean President Kim Dae Jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

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