S.Korea to send deputy nuke envoy to Russia, may encounter DPRK diplomat

South Korea's foreign ministry said Thursday that it will send a deputy nuclear envoy for the currently stalled six-party talks to a Russia-hosted forum, where a senior Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) diplomat would reportedly participate.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Noh Kyu-duk told a regular press briefing that Lee Sang-hwa, director general for the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue at the foreign Ministry, will visit Russia to attend the Nonproliferation Conference to be held in Moscow on Oct. 20-21.

Lee doubles as South Korea's deputy chief negotiator at the six-way talks to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. The aid-for-disarmament dialogue, which involved the two Koreas, China, the United States, Russia and Japan, was last held in late 2008.

According to local media reports, Choe Son-hui, director general for North American affairs at the DPRK's foreign ministry, was already in Moscow for the international forum.

Choe would allegedly hold a so-called Track 1.5 semi-official dialogue with retired U.S. government officials including former Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman.

Asked about if the diplomats of the two Koreas would meet in Moscow, the Seoul ministry spokesman said it had no plan as of now.

Though no official meeting was arranged for the two diplomats, there was still possibility for the two to encounter at the forum.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)