South Korea, the United States and Japan Saturday urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to immediately return to the six-party talks aimed at solving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said. (Photo: Xinhua/AFP)

    SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- South Korea, the United States and Japan Saturday urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to immediately return to the six-party talks aimed at solving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said.

    "South Korea, the US and Japan urge North Korea (DPRK) to return to six-party talks immediately and directly discuss the issues that North Korea is concerned about," Song said at the press conference after the trilateral meeting Saturday afternoon.

    The US and Japanese delegations were headed respectively by US Ambassador to South Korea Christopher Hill and Chief of Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asia-Oceania Agency Kenichiro Sasae. The six-party talks involve China, the DPRK, Russia, South Korea, the United States and Japan.

    "South Korea, the US and Japan all expressed serious concerns over the DPRK's 'Feb. 10 announcement' and concurred with the imminence of the issue," Song said.

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

    But Song refused to say what kinds of concrete measures they discussed over how to persuade the DPRK to return to the talks.

    The DPRK announced on Feb. 10 that it was suspending participation in the six-party nuclear talks indefinitely and accused the United States of adopting a hostile policy toward it.

    Meanwhile, Song said the three countries appraised China's constructive role, hoping that China will continue to make effortsto reopen the six-party talks.

    He also said they appreciated the contribution of Russia, hoping joint efforts with Russia within the frame of six-party talks.

    Since August 2003, three rounds of six-party talks have been held in Beijing.

    On Tuesday, the DPRK top leader Kim Jong Il was quoted as saying that the DPRK never opposes six-party talks, but he stressed some "mature conditions" are needed to continue the talks.

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