U.S. envoy for DPRK to visit China, South Korea, Japan

The United States is sending back its envoy for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for a visit to China, South Korea and Japan, as the DPRK, Russia and China are calling for a resumption without preconditions of the six-party talks over the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

Glyn Davies, the U.S. special representative for the DPRK, will continue discussions with the three nations over policy coordination on Pyongyang during his strip on Nov. 19-25, State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said at a regular press briefing.

She ruled out resumed talks for now involving the two Koreas, Japan, China, Russia and the United States, a mechanism known as the six-party talks that has been stalled since December 2008.

Davies and his counterparts from Japan and South Korea, after trilateral talks in Washington last week, agreed not to restart the talks until the DPRK shows its commitment to giving up its nuclear program.

"The ball is in North Korea's court," Psaki said. "There are steps they need to take to abide by their international obligations, including the 2005 joint statement. Those are not steps they've taken, but obviously we continue to coordinate with partners in the region."

Russian President Vladimir Putin joined China and the DPRK in urging unconditional resumption of the six-party talks, days before he flew to South Korea on Wednesday for a visit.