美国特使访问韩国，讨论朝鲜问题

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　　SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Top U.S. diplomat¹ for East Asian affairs visited South Korea on Sunday to discuss issues on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) after the two Koreas agreed to hold reunion of separated families.

　　Daniel Russel, assistant secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, who accompanied deputy Secretary of State William Burns during his trip to China and Japan, met in Seoul with South Korean deputy Foreign Minister Lee Kyung-soo.

　　Russel reportedly explained Lee about the results of Burns' travel to China and Japan, while having an in-depth discussion on the DPRK issue, according to local media reports.

　　After the meeting, the U.S. diplomat told reporters that his visit was part of intensive consultations² between Seoul and Washington on important issues related to the DPRK.

　　The two allies had strengthened consultations on the DPRK issue since South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se agreed with his U. S. counterpart on it during his trip to Washington on Jan. 7.

　　Burns visited Seoul on Jan. 21 before Russel's travel to the country. Glyn Davies, U.S. special representative for the DPRK policy, was scheduled to come here on Jan. 29 to have a meeting with Cho Tae-yong who represents South Korea at the six-party talks.

　　The six-party talks, the aid-for-denuclearization dialogue including the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia, have been suspended since late 2008. Seoul and Washington have demanded Pyongyang to show its sincerity³ towards the denuclearization before resuming the multilateral dialogue.

　　The DPRK proposed Friday to South Korea to hold reunion of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War in its scenic⁴ resort of Mount Kumgang at any date of South Korea's convenience after the Lunar New Year's holiday.

　　Pyongyang recently reiterated⁵ its peace call to Seoul, saying that the two Koreas should stop all hostile acts from Jan. 30 on the eve of the Lunar New Year.

　　Despite the looming⁶ dialogue mood, cautions remained as South Korea and the United States are set to conduct the annual joint⁷ military drills from late February to April. The DPRK denounced it as a rehearsal⁸ to the northward⁹ invasion.

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