U.S. official to confer in Japan, Korea

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage will start a visit South Korea and Japan Sunday.

"Deputy Secretary Armitage is expected to discuss North Korea policy coordination," a Seoul official said yesterday. "He will also probably seek cooperation from Seoul in the Iraq matter." Mr. Armitage is scheduled to visit Japan Sunday to meet with Tokyo officials including Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda before his travel to Seoul.

An annual Security Consultative Meeting between the United States and South Korea will take place Thursday in Washington before Mr. Armitage's Asian tour.

Japan, South Korea and the United States are reportedly considering rescheduling their Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group meeting, originally planned for early this month. They are said to want to see an official response from Pyeongyang to the international community's urging that it dismantle its nuclear program in verifiable manner.

The latest warning came from the International Atomic Energy Agency over the weekend. It adopted a stiff resolution opposing North Korea's nuclear program and demanding inspections of its clandestine facilities. The trilateral meeting may be moved to after the presidential election Dec. 19.

by Lee Young-jong