N. Korean nuke envoy due in Singapore: embassy

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- Chief North Korean nuclear envoy Kim Kye-gwan will
visit Singapore this week, Pyongyang's embassy there confirmed Monday, apparently
to meet his American counterpart in advance of a new round of disarmament talks.
"Yes, Vice Foreign Minister Kim is scheduled to come here," an embassy official
told Yonhap News Agency over phone. He refused to reveal his name and job title,
only saying he is a member of the embassy's staff.
Asked when Kim is expected to arrive in Singapore, the official responded, "Just
wait a little and you will find out."
Diplomatic sources in Seoul said earlier that top North Korean and U.S. nuclear
negotiators may meet in the city state around Dec. 4 to narrow differences on
ways of verifying the North's recent nuclear claims before the expected
resumption of six-way talks next week.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the talks, also involving South
Korea, China, Russia, and Japan, will restart next Monday after a five-month
break, but host China has yet to announce a schedule.
South Korea's foreign ministry said it was preparing for the talks.
"The Chinese government will soon announce the opening date," ministry spokesman
Moon Tae-young said. "We are making preparations on a premise that the six-way
talks will open on Dec. 8."
Moon neither confirmed nor denied the reports of the meeting in Singapore between
the North Korean and U.S. officials.
Meanwhile, chief South Korean, U.S., and Japanese nuclear negotiators plan to
hold a meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday to fine-tune their strategy for making
progress in the new round of talks, sources said.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)