Asia-Pacific

US envoy due in Seoul to discuss DPRK issues

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-11-21 20:15

SEOUL - A special US envoy for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is expected to arrive in Seoul late Sunday to discuss DPRK issues with the Republic of Korea (ROK)'s officials.

Stephen Bosworth is scheduled to meet with his ROK counterpart Wi Sung-lac, Seoul's top representative for the six- party talks, on Monday morning to exchange views on ways for resumption of the long-stalled Six-Party Talks and DPRK's reported move to build light-water nuclear reactor, Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement.

The US envoy will also meet with ROK Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan on Monday.

According to the US State Department, a delegation led by Bosworth will visit Tokyo, Japan on November 22 after its stay in Seoul, and depart for Beijing, China on November 23, then return to Washington on Nov 24.

Bosworth's Asia trip came after the New York Times newspaper reported that  Pyongyang showed a US nuclear scientist and Stanford University professor Siegfried Hecker who recently traveled to the DPRK, a vast, new plant to enrich uranium with " hundreds and hundreds" of centrifuges installed.

Earlier, Japan's Kyodo News Agency also quoted the scientist as saying that Pyongyang is building an experimental light-water reactor at its Yongbyon nuclear facility.