US envoy met with North Korean counterpart
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-01-19 08:59

The top U.S. envoy to talks on North Korea's nuclear program met for unofficial talks with his counterpart from Pyongyang in Beijing on Wednesday, Kyodo news agency reported on Thursday.

Quoting diplomatic sources in Beijing, Kyodo said the meeting between Christopher Hill and North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan was also joined by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.

The three likely discussed Washington's clamp-down on companies it suspects helping North Korea with counterfeiting, money laundering and drug trade, Kyodo said. But they probably did not reach any agreement, it said.

The issue has been a sticking point in six-party talks to end North Korea's nuclear weapons programs. The talks, which group the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and China, were last held in November.

Hill made a whistle-stop tour through Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing last week to meet negotiators on the troubled six-party talks.

His visit on Wednesday to Beijing came as North Korean leader Kim Jong-il returned from China.