Beijing on Wednesday hosted a meeting between Korean envoys aimed at reviving international nuclear disarmament talks.

Beijing on Wednesday hosted a meeting between Korean envoys aimed at reviving international nuclear disarmament talks.

They aimed to pave the way for a resumption of full six-party negotiations on the North's nuclear disarmament, a process which began back in 2003 and grouped the two Koreas, China, the United States, Japan and Russia.

South Korea's Wi said Wednesday's discussions would include the preconditions the North must meet.
"I will discuss a wide range of issues concerning denuclearisation, including the pre-steps," he told AFP during a midday break in the talks.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency said Wi would demand that North Korea stop its uranium enrichment program before the negotiations could resume, citing a senior Seoul diplomat.

North Korea formally abandoned the six-nation forum in April 2009, a month before staging a second nuclear test which brought worldwide condemnation and fresh United Nations sanctions.
Now all sides say they want to start talking again, especially after Pyongyang's disclosure last November of a uranium enrichment program.

But while the North wants six-party talks without preconditions, South Korea and the United States say it must “show seriousness “about giving up its nuclear arsenal in return for economic, diplomatic and security benefits.

For its part, China, which hosts the international forum, expressed hopes Wednesday's meeting would prove fruitful.
"We support dialogue between North and South Korea and we hope the dialogue can produce outcomes so as to promote the six party talks process," foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told journalists at a regular briefing.

"We hope relevant parties meet each other half way so as to create the conditions for the early resumption of six-party talks."