South Korean, Chinese nuclear envoys hold talks

BEIJING (Yonhap News) ― The chief nuclear envoys from South Korea and China met on Friday, as North Korea expressed its willingness to rejoin talks to resolve its nuclear standoff.

Cho Tae-yong, Seoul’s chief negotiator to the stalled six-party talks, arrived in Beijing for talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wu Dawei, after holding a trilateral meeting with his American and Japanese counterparts in Washington this week.

On Wednesday, North Korean envoy Kim Kye-gwan held a “strategic dialogue” with senior Chinese diplomats in Beijing, with the Chinese Foreign Ministry saying both sides want to “peacefully solve nuclear issues through dialogue.”

“South Korea and China are on the same footing that the two nations won’t accept North Korea as a nuclear-armed state,” Cho said. “Based on the consensus, we will hold consultations.”