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S Korea urges North to hurry talks

South Korea's top diplomat warned North Korea yesterday that time was running short for the nation to make progress in stalled negotiations over its nuclear programs, a news report said.

Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan said the North should address the stalemate over its requirement to fully declare its nuclear programs quickly because the US government does not have much time to focus on the issue, according to Yonhap news agency.

"Looking at the schedule of US domestic politics, [Washington] would virtually take its hands off [the issue] once the vacation season starts in early August,'' Yu told South Korean reporters in Beijing at the end of a three-day, Yonhap said.

"We have to start negotiations anew from scratch if a new administration comes in the United States. Therefore, we have to make progress in the declaration issue so as to prepare momentum" for more negotiations, he said.

The US will hold its presidential election in November and its next president will take office in January.

Yu also said he asked China to help speed up the process. Beijing is host for the six-nation nuclear talks that also involve the US, North Korea, South Korea, Japan and Russia.

Differences over the North's promised nuclear declaration have held up the negotiations, as the US accused Pyongyang of failing to fully account for all its nuclear programs by the end of last year under a six-party agreement.

The North says it gave Washington a nuclear programs' list in November, but the US says Pyongyang never produced a "complete and correct" declaration.

Yu said South Korean President Lee Myung-bak would visit China as early as May. China agreed in principle that Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) would visit Seoul.
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