North Korean chief nuclear envoy Kim Kye-gwan arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, to continue further negotiations on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

 

Kim is reported to meet with parties relevant to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, including Chinese senior diplomats and his US counterpart Christopher Hill, who is expected to arrive in Beijing later on Tuesday.

 

Hill, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian affairs, is due to hold bilateral contacts with Chinese officials in Beijing from Wednesday regarding international efforts to disable North Korea's existing nuclear facilities, according to the State Department.

 

However, the possible meeting between North Korea and the US, which comes shortly before the start of work to disable the three key nuclear facilities in North Korea's Yongbyon complex from later this week, has not been confirmed yet.

 

North Korea reconfirmed on Monday to start disablement of nuclear facilities from November 1 and faithfully implement its second-phase denuclearization measures under the February agreement, according to an official from South Korea who leads negotiations for the working-level talks on energy assistance.

 

Under an October joint document, North Korea agreed to disable its existing nuclear facilities and provide a declaration of all its nuclear programs by the end of this year.

 

The document also said North Korea and the US remain committed to improving their bilateral relations and moving towards a full diplomatic relationship. The six-party talks, initiated in 2003, involve China, North and South Korea, the US, Russia and Japan.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 30, 2007)