The United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will meet in Beijing on Jan. 30 to discuss financial restrictions on the DPRK, the Treasury Department said Friday.

Daniel Glaser, the department's deputy assistant secretary for terrorist financial and financial crimes who is leading a US financial delegation, is due to meet next Tuesday with his DPRK counterparts, the department said.

The scheduled talks follow discussions in December 2006 that ran parallel to six-party talks over the DPRK's nuclear program.

The United States has imposed financial sanctions on the DPRK in retaliation for alleged US dollar counterfeiting and money laundering by Pyongyang.

Prior to December talks, the DPRK vowed that so long as it is under US sanctions, it will not return to the six-party talks which are aimed at ending its nuclear weapons drive. 　

US bans luxury exports to DPRK

The United States on Friday banned exports of luxury goods to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), including jet skis, iPods, jewelry and fancy cars.

The decision to ban luxury exports to the DPRK was made by the US Commerce Department in November 2006, but publication of a formal rule to this effect was delayed until Friday so US negotiator Christopher Hill could pursue talks aimed at persuading the DPRK to end its nuclear programs, US officials said.

Hill, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, had talks over resumption of six-party talks with Kim Kye-Gwan, top nuclear negotiator from the DPRK in Berlin early last week. The three-day talks were described as useful and productive.

The six-party talks, designed to solve nuclear issues on the Korean peninsular, involves the DPRK, the United States, China, the Republic of Korea, Japan and Russia.

Following the latest talks in December, the six parties are due to have a new round of talks on Feb. 5-8. 　

(Xinhua News Agency January 27, 2007)