South Korea anticipates new round of nuclear talks in second week of November

South Korea's representative on North Korea problem told that international talks on the NKorea state's nuclear program may resume in the second week of November.

"In the fifth round of six-party talks, which will open in early November, probably in the second week, there will be intense discussions on the issue of carrying out the Sept. 19 joint statement," Unification Minister Chung Dong-young told a parliamentary meeting.

The minister was referring to the document that the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia adopted at their latest round of negotiations in Beijing last month.

The accord - the first since the disarmament negotiations began in 2003 - committed North Korea to abandon its nuclear programs in exchange for economic aid, security assurances and diplomatic recognition.

Pyongyang quickly backpedaled on the pledge, saying the next day that it won't disarm unless the United States provides it with a civilian nuclear reactor for power generation, a demand Washington has said is unacceptable, the AP reports.

V.Y.