A well-informed source in the government said that the current six-nation talks are hard to keep going, as over 100 officials must attend. Korea first suggested that a working group be formed, and the United States showed a positive response to the suggestion, the insider said. In the working group, deputy-level officials from the six nations are to participate.

Korean Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Lee Soo-hyuck, and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and the head of U.S. envoy to the six-nation talks, James Kelly, shake hands on Sunday at Chosun Hotel before discussing the schedule of the second round of six-nation talks to resolve the North Korean nuclear issues./ Lee Deok-hun

After the meeting, Lee met with reporters and said that because it is hard for all participating countries to agree on a joint declaration before the second round of the six-nation talks, the countries have agreed to finalize the declaration as the talks go on, alluding that North Korea has given its consent to holding the conference first.

Kelly said on arriving at the Incheon International Airport that he was "mildly optimistic that we may be able to have another round of six-party talks before very long, perhaps even this month." The possible date for the commencement of the second round of meeting is between Feb. 16, the birthday of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, and Mar. 5, when China's National People's Congress begins.

Kelly is to meet on Monday with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ban Ki-moon, and the Minister of Unification, Jeong Se-hyun, and fly to Tokyo to meet his counterparts, Japanese Foreign Ministry's Director General of Asian and Oceania Affairs Bureau Mitoji Yabunaka. (Lee Ha-won, may2@chosun.com )