South Korean and US officials on Tuesday urged Pyongyang to conduct an early declaration of its nuclear programs, warning to take further steps against it.

"With regard to the issue of the declaration (of the North Korea's nuclear program), we have given it enough time for submitting a correct and complete one," Chun Yung-woo, South Kroea's chief negotiator for the six-party talks, said after meeting with his US counterpart Christopher Hill in Seoul.

"We expect North North to submit a correct and complete declaration as soon as possible," Chun said.

North Korea said it submitted the declaration last November. However, the US side argued the document was not complete.

Chun said South Korea and the United States shared the understanding that "there is no reason to wait further". The two sides discussed further steps, he added.

However, he refused to disclose what the next step is.

Hill, who arrived here on Tuesday for a three-day visit, said "We have to see whether North Korea is really prepared to keep moving on the six-party process. We can't walk away from this problem."

Under an agreement reached last October during the six-party talks on the nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula, North Korea agreed to declare all its nuclear programs by the end of 2007 while the United States and other parties provide economic, energy and humanitarian assistance to North Korea.

(Xinhua News Agency April 2, 2008)