Officials from the Republic of Korea (ROK), the United States and Japan will meet in Washington this week for talks on the nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), according to an official at the ROK Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.  

Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Soo-hyuck said he will fly to the United States Wednesday for the talks which will "fine-tune specific positions of the three countries in preparation for a second round of six-party talks."

The trilateral meeting, he said, is expected to be held on Wednesday and Thursday, although a firm scheduled has not been set yet.

"I don't think this meeting is the last one of its kind ahead of the second six-party talks," Lee told reporters. "Once the schedule for (the six-party) talks is set, there may be another round of trilateral meeting."

Separately, Presidential National Security Adviser Ra Jong-yil began a two-day visit to Japan Tuesday to coordinate efforts to set up a new round of six-way talks.

In Tokyo, Ra was scheduled to meet Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda, announced chief presidential spokesman Yoon Tae-young on Tuesday.     

China, the DPRK, the US, the ROK, Russia and Japan convened the first round of six-party nuclear talks in August last year. The involving countries now are intensifying diplomatic efforts to hold the second round of nuclear talks as soon as possible.

(Xinhua News Agency January 21, 2004)