U.S. nuclear envoy to visit North Korea to discuss denuclearization

Posted on : 2007-11-28 11:16 KST Modified on : 2007-11-28 11:16 KST

The top U.S. nuclear negotiator will visit North Korea early next week to assess progress in the disablement of atomic facilities, a U.S. State Department official said Tuesday.

Christopher Hill, assistant secretary of state, last traveled to Pyongyang in June, just after the communist state shut down Yongbyon, the site housing key nuclear facilities believed to have been churning out weapons-grade material.

The travel plan was revealed as the nuclear envoy headed out to Tokyo, the first stop in his Asia swing taking him also to Seoul and Beijing. He is expected to go to Pyongyang in the middle of his South Korean stay that begins Thursday.

Hill represents the U.S. at the so-called six-party process, a forum aimed at denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. South and North Korea, China, Russia and Japan are the other members of the forum. Under the most recent accord reached last month, Pyongyang is required to disable the Yongbyon facilities and declare its nuclear stockpile by the end of this year.

Speaking to reporters just before his departure, Hill said he expects North Korea to submit the declaration within several days to China, the host of the six-party talks. Top envoys from the six governments are expected to meet in Beijing around Dec. 6 to discuss what the North has submitted. The U.S. hopes that Pyongyang will also declare any of its proliferation activities, including alleged nuclear exports to Syria.

The Yongbyon shutdown in June was the first phase implementation of the denuclearization deal that envisions an eventual dismantlement of all North Korea nuclear weapons and programs.


WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 (Yonhap)

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