The second round of the six-party talks on the Korean nuclear issue will be held in Beijing on Feb. 25. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue made the announcement in Beijing Tuesday.

 

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) made the same announcement Tuesday, Yonhap News Agency of the Republic of Korea (ROK) reported.

 

Yonhap said the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) of the DPRK made the announcement.

 

"We have decided to hold six-way talks beginning Feb. 25 after many consultations with the United States and the host, China," the KCNA said.

 

"We also made consultations with other concerned countries on the issue," said the DPRK's official news agency.

 

The announcement came on the same day when the DPRK and ROK will kick off high-level inter-Korean talks in Seoul.

 

It was made two days after James Kelly, US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said he was "mildly optimistic" about the prospect of new talks and that the United States and other regional players were working closely to realize them.

 

The ROK government has not made any response to the KCNA report. Officials with the ROK presidential office and Ministry of Unification have refused to give any comment.

 

(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2004)