SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- South Korea, the United States and Japan concluded a three-way meeting here Saturday urging the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to return without delay to the six-party talks aimed at resolving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

    "South Korea, the US and Japan urge North Korea (DPRK) to return to the six-party talks immediately and directly discuss theissues that North Korea is concerned about," said Song Min-soon, South Korea's deputy foreign minister and chief negotiator to the talks, in a press briefing over the trilateral meeting.

    Christopher Hill, US Ambassador to South Korea and Kenichiro Sasae, chief of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asia-Oceania Bureau, also attended the meeting.

    It was the first time the three diplomats had met following a change of chief negotiators by all three countries after the thirdround of the talks in June 2004.

    The meeting was also the first of its kind following the DPRK'sFeb. 10 announcement of its indefinite suspension of attendance atthe six-party talks and its admission for the first time that it possesses a nuclear deterrent.

    "South Korea, the US and Japan all expressed serious concerns over the announcement," added Song.

    Song reiterated the three countries dedication to "continue to make efforts to resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula through the six-party nuclear talks in a peaceful and diplomatic manner," Song stressed.

    But Song declined to talk about what concrete measures they discussed over persuading the DPRK to return to the talks.

    The South Korean chief negotiator also said the three countriesappraised China's constructive role, hoping China will continue to make efforts to reopen the talks.

    Song also said the three countries appreciated the contributionof Russia, hoping for joint efforts with Russia within the framework of the six-party talks.

    Asked whether there is a deadline for the efforts to persuade the DPRK back to the nuclear talks, Song said "there is no deadline," but added that none of the five countries -- South Korea, US, Japan, China and Russia -- think the six-party talks can be postponed indefinitely.

    Earlier this week, Hill expressed similar sentiments saying that setting a deadline is of no help for the settlement of the nuclear issue.

    Song expressed his satisfaction with Saturday's consultation, saying "the three parties unanimously hold that Saturday's meeting was very constructive and laid a solid foundation for early resumption of the six-party nuclear talks."

    Hill, however, remained cautious, refusing to comment on Saturday's discussion saying only that the consultation was "an excellent meeting."

    Japan's representative Sasae said the meeting was "constructive" and "useful". "We concurred that in order to realize a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, North Korea should come to the six-party talks without any conditions attached," he told reporters.

    On Tuesday, the DPRK said Pyongyang never opposed six-party talks and "mature conditions" are needed to continue the talks.

    Since August 2003, China, the United States, the DPRK, Russia, South Korea and Japan have held three rounds of talks in Beijing aimed at peacefully resolving the nuclear issue. Pyongyang refused to attend the fourth round scheduled for last September citing hostile US policy.

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