Nuclear envoys of two Koreas hold talks at key ASEAN meeting

(ATTN: ADDS envoys' remarks in paras 3-4, new photos) By Kim Deok-hyun BALI, Indonesia, July 22 (Yonhap) -- The chief nuclear envoys of South and North Korea held talks on Friday, in what was the first-ever meeting on nuclear issues between the two Koreas and a possible attempt to resume the six-party talks, Seoul's diplomats here said. The talks between South Korea's Wi Sung-lac and North Korea's Ri Yong-ho on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum here come on the heels of international efforts to revive the multilateral talks on ending the North's nuclear program. "It's been a long time since I met you in London," Wi told Ri as they started the talks at a hotel in Bali, recalling their meeting at a security conference in the U.K. six years ago. "Yes, how nice to see you again," Ri said. Four other North Korean officials joined Ri as he sat with five South Korean officials for the talks. Before the start of the talks, a ranking South Korean diplomat said, "This is the first time that chief nuclear envoys of South and North Korea have held a bilateral meeting on nuclear issues." North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chun, who is in Bali to attend the ASEAN forum, confirmed earlier in the day that Ri was appointed as the North's chief envoy to the six-party talks. The six-party nuclear disarmament talks, involving the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia, have been stalled since late 2008 after North Korea stormed out of the process after a new round of U.N. sanctions. A meeting between Wi and Ri was aimed at paving the way for a higher-level meeting between South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan and his North Korean counterpart Pak in Bali, the diplomat said on the condition of anonymity. Asked about the possibility of a meeting between Kim and Pak, the diplomat replied, "We are open to all possibilities." Until now, the North has refused to discuss its nuclear program one-on-one with South Korea as Pyongyang has so far used its nuclear weapons program as important leverage to improve ties with Washington. South Korea, the U.S. and other six-party members are pushing to reopen the six-party nuclear dialogue forum in a three-step approach in which North Korea will meet South Korea first, then the U.S., for one-on-one talks on denuclearization. All six countries are attending the ASEAN forum in Bali this week. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi held talks and said the two sides would discuss their "mutual desire for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," Clinton told reporters before the start of their meeting. Yang said China, the U.S. and other six-party members "need to work together to promote a better atmosphere and good dialogue." On Thursday, the South Korean foreign minister held talks with Yang and reaffirmed their joint stance on the step-by-step approach. The South's top diplomat is due to hold talks with Clinton on Saturday. Afterward, the foreign ministers of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan will hold a trilateral meeting, diplomats said.