The South Korean government on Friday welcomed the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK)consent to continue the multilateral talks aiming to resolve the issue of the DPRK nuclear program.

"We consider it very encouraging that DPRK expressed its willingness to take part in a subsequent round of six-party talks," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Shin Bong-kil in a statement. "We hope a second round of six-party talks will take place at an early date."

On Thursday, DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Il and the visiting Chinese top legislator, Wu Bangguo, reached an agreement that the six-party talks should be continued. South Korea viewed this as a sign that Pyongyang will attend the next round of the multilateraltalks.

DPRK, China, the United States, Russia, South Korea and Japan held the first round of six-party talks on the nuclear issue in August in Beijing, but they failed to fix the date for the next round of talks.

The South Korean foreign ministry spokesman also said that Seoul will hold consultations with other concerning countries on when to hold a new round of talks and how to prepare for the talksto produce substantial results.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun on Friday also expressed his confidence in the peaceful resolution of the DPRK nuclear issue, saying, "I believe that the six-way talks will be held soon."

Addressing an international forum held earlier on Friday in South Korea's southern Jeju Island, Roh said, "I believe it is a very positive development, and I came to be assured that the DPRK's nuclear issue could be resolved comprehensively through multilateral dialogue."

The president said that the international community, including South Korea, would be willing to provide large-scale economic aid to DPRK if Pyongyang abandons its nuclear ambitions.

South Korea's Foreign Minister Yoon Young-kwan on Friday expressed optimism about an early resumption of the talks and a peaceful end to the nuclear issue.

"This greatly enhances the prospects for a diplomatic resolution of the DPRK nuclear issue," said Yoon, referring to theagreement reached by the DPRK and Chinese leaders.

"As there are positive responses, there is a heightened possibility that the second round of talks can be held at an earlydate," said the minister.

Pyongyang originally gave negative responses to the first roundof six-party talks, blaming Washington for having no sincerity to resolve the nuclear issue and describing the six-party talks as "useless."

Meanwhile, after almost two months of stalemate since the Beijing talks, US president George W. Bush said a written securityguarantee will be provided to Pyongyang within multilateral framework if the DPRK expresses its will to reverse its nuclear program.

And DPRK said last week it will consider Bush's proposal of written security guarantee if the United States agrees to take "simultaneous actions" to resolve the nuclear issue.

The South Korean government viewed all these as positive developments that are helpful to the early solution of the nuclearissue.

The four-step "simultaneous actions" proposed by the DPRK envisaged that Washington firstly resumes fuel oil shipments and provides large-scale humanitarian food aid to the DPRK and the latter simultaneously declares its willingness to give up its nuclear program. Then the DPRK dismantles its nuclear arms programwhile a US-led consortium completes the construction of two power-generating light-water nuclear reactors.
 
(Xinhua News Agency  November 1, 2003)