US envoy seeks further six-party talks

The US envoy involved in negotiations on controlling North Korea's nuclear developments arrived in Beijing Sunday, looking to set a date for resuming the six-party talks, Reuters reported. Christopher Hill said he would brief China's chief negotiator Wu Dawei on discussions held last week in Berlin with North Korean representative Kim Kye-gwan. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso said Sunday that the beginning of February was earliest possible date for reopening talks, which involve the two Koreas, China, the US, Japan and Russia. The last round of talks in December ended inconclusively but it is thought that Hill and Kim made progress during their negotiations in Berlin.