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US envoy arrives in Seoul, says NKorea's nuke declaration expected soon
By Channel NewsAsia's Korea Bureau Chief Lim Yun Suk | Posted: 29 November 2007 1908 hrs

 
 
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SEOUL : US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill expects Pyongyang to release a full account of its atomic possessions in the coming days.

Mr Hill is in Seoul en route to North Korea where he's to get a first look at the Yongbyon nuclear complex next week.

Also in Seoul is North Korea's spy chief Kim Yang Gon whose visit is aimed at strengthening inter-Korean relations.

But over in Pyongyang, defence ministers of the two Koreas ended their three-day meeting with no agreement on a joint fishing zone in disputed waters.

The chief US envoy to multilateral talks aimed at getting North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons programme says he expects North Korea to keep its part of the agreement reached in Beijing in February.

"We look forward to receiving in the next few days, certainly within the next week, a comprehensive list from the North Koreans on all their nuclear programmes," says Mr Hill.

North Korea agreed to disable its nuclear facility and provide a list of all its nuclear programmes by the end of the year in exchange for aid.

Meanwhile, North Korea's spy chief Kim is in Seoul on official visit.

Mr Kim is described as one of the most trusted aides of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Il. He is one of the highest ranking officials to visit South Korea in seven years.

On his first day in Seoul, Mr Kim, who's in charge of inter-Korean ties and intelligence matters, met with South Korea's Unification Minister Lee Jae Joung.

He is expected to meet his South Korean counterpart Kim Man Bok on Friday.

While in Seoul, experts say he's likely to discuss implementing the declaration agreed between the leaders of the two Koreas in October. That was the second ever summit between the two Koreas

"Kim Yang Gon knows Chairman Kim Jong Il's mind very well. He is likely here to coordinate some of the issues in the declaration agreed at the summit meeting. He could try to prioritise some of the business projects and set their timings," says Professor Ryu Kil Jae of North Korean Studies at Kyungnam University.

Mr Kim is also likely to meet with South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun before returning home on Saturday.

Over in Pyongyang, the first meeting between defence ministers of the two Koreas in seven years has concluded.

The meeting, which began on Tuesday, ended with both sides failing to reach an agreement on a joint fishing zone in disputed waters.

Pyongyang has long refused to recognise the sea border drawn by the American-led UN command at the end of the Korean War in 1953.

This has led to deadly clashes between the two Korean navies in 1999 and 2002.

Despite their failure to reach an agreement on the sea border, the defence ministers however agreed security guarantees for inter-Korean economic projects.

Both sides also agreed to hold the next round of defence talks next year. - CNA /ls

 

 



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