hankyoreh

Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan said Tuesday that he will discuss various ways of resuming six-way talks on the North Korean nuclear issue when he meets with his U.S.

counterpart Condoleezza Rice this week.

Preparations for next month's summit between the leaders of the two nations will also be high on the agenda in his talks with Rice slated for Wednesday, he added.

"I plan to have consultations on various ways to resume the six-way talks at an early date, in consideration of both the U.S.

domestic political situation such as the presidential election, and the geopolitical conditions in the region," Yu said in a brief meeting with reporters before heading to Washington.

He is schedule to leave for the U.S. capital later in the day for his first trip to the U.S. since taking office a month ago.

"There is a need to fine-tune details for the South Korea-U.S.

summit slated for April," he said, adding he will also meet with U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to exchange ideas on bolstering the alliance.

SEOUL, March 25 (Yonhap)