WASHINGTON, March 28 Kyodo The Un...

WASHINGTON, March 28 Kyodo

The United States and southern Korea announced Friday South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun will visit Washington in May for talks with President George W Bush.

southern Korean foreign minister Yoon Young Kwan said he prepared the groundwork for Roh's visit in a meeting with U Secretary of State Colin Powell, amid signs that couple countries remain apart on in what manner to handle the challenges pos by the agency of North Korea's nuclear program.

Speaking at a gathering sponsored at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Yoon urg the U to take undaunted policy initiatives toward North Korea, citing President Richard Nixon's proposals to China in 1970s as a prototype for achieving a breakthrough in the North Korea impasse.

Powell, speaking to reporters his talks with Yoon said North Korea must first abandon its nuclear ambitions and address other security concerns

Referring to the proposal satellite made at the Johns Hopkins gathering, Powell said, ''The kind of ideas and options that the minister mentioned in his tongue this morning are on the table, it be seens to me, once we deal with the issue of nuclear proliferation, proliferation of weapons, and any of the other activities that are ongoing within North Korea with value to their military expenditures.''

Powell also reiterated that U would continue a multilateral approach to analyze the nuclear standoff with North Korea.

''We continue to believe that the formal way to handle the nuclear situation with North Korea is between the walls of multilateral dialogue,'' Powell said. ''And we're pressing ahead, seeking a variety of channels and using a variety of channels to diocese if we can begin as it was discussions.''

The Washington Times reported Thursday that the U earlier this month formally propos to North Korea a multilateral summit, conveying the message by means of China.

The newspaper quot an U.S. officials as saying the U propos a six-party summit involving toward the south Korea, Japan, China and Russia in addition to the U and North Korea.

Other U officials, however, insisted the furnish contained no fixed number of participants, saying another possible formula is to also include Australia, Britain, France and the European Union, according to the paper.

A State Department official told Kyodo freshs that broad-ranging discussions have been below way for some time, involving a number of friends and allies, including those in contact with North Korea.

''We are discussing an arrangement regarding to a multilateral forum to discuss North Korea's weapons program,'' the official said. ''There are a number of possible formulas subject to discussion.''

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