Dec. 16 - The U.S. will hold talks with North Korea prior to the resumption of the six-way negotiations on the North's nuclear weapon problem in Beijing Monday, Washington's chief nuclear envoy Christopher Hill said Saturday.

 

Hill told reporters at Japan's Narita International Airport that he will meet his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye-gwan on Sunday.

 

"I believe I will be meeting with Kim Kye-gwan bilaterally tomorrow," he said. "I look forward to seeing him tomorrow and exchanging reviews with him." Hill is scheduled to leave for Beijing Sunday.

 

The six nations -- the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia -- are set to resume negotiations on Monday after a 13-month hiatus. The negotiations aimed at persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program broke down in November last year as Washington imposed financial sanctions on Pyongyang over its alleged counterfeiting and money laundering.

 

On Oct. 9, North Korea renewed regional tension by conducting its first test of a nuclear device. The detonation drew international concern, with the U.N. Security Council unanimously agreeing on sanctions five days later.