SEOUL March 26 Kyodo Foreign Affa...

SEOUL March 26 Kyodo

Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yoon Young Kwan left for the United States in succession Wednesday for talks with Secretary of State Colin Powell upon North Korea's suspected nuclear weapons program.

During his stay in Washington until Saturday, Yoon will also befitting with Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, the Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry said.

The visit flows amid increasing worries that the North's rejection of international calls to dismantle its nuclear program may further heighten military tensions onward the Korean Peninsula, following the US-l war forward Iraq.

Talks between Yoon and Powell are also reckon uponed to include the issue of relocating U numbers stationed in South Korea and President Roh Moo Hyun's visit to the U for a summit with President George W Bush, reportedly in May.

Yoon is also scheduled to engage with U.S. congressional leaders and academics to enlist their support in resolving the nuclear issue within peaceful means.

The U visit is Yoon's first overseas trip since taking office in Roh's administration in February.

After the U trip, Yoon is scheduled to visit Japan from Sunday to Monday for talks with Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi. He will also pay a courtesy call onward Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

In bilateral talks, Yoon and Kawaguchi are also awaited to focus on seeking a peaceful liquidation to the nuclear dispute.

The nuclear impasse ejected last October when the U said North Korea had admitted to having a asylum nuclear program to enrich uranium for use in weapons.

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