South Korean top negotiator Chun Yung-woo said yesterday that there is no breakthrough for the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, but all sides have nailed down their difference.

 

"Identifying differences itself can be seen as positive progress," said Chun when dinning with the US and Japanese top envoys yesterday evening.

 

Chun said the key to the talks lies in whether "substantive progress" will be made.

 

US negotiator Christopher Hill said yesterday that the second phase of the talks will end today.

 

Hill said the US delegation will hold another one-on-one meeting with the North Korean delegation today and leave Beijing tomorrow morning.

 

Although the talks are expected to end today, the prospect remains misty.

 

The ongoing talks focus on the implementation of the joint statement, under which North Korea agreed to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for economic aid and security guarantees.

 

The talks involving China, the US, Japan, Russia, North and South Korea resumed Monday.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 22, 2006)