The six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue may be extended to Tuesday, an official with the South Korean delegation said yesterday.

 

On condition of anonymity, the official said the parties held a series of bilateral contacts Monday afternoon, exchanging views in a "candid" atmosphere.

 

The envoys from North Korea and the US held one-on-one consultations, said the official.

 

Up to now, host China has not disclosed when the talks will conclude, as the six parties were attempting to seal an agreement on the fifth day of the talks, with energy aid for North Korea still being the focus of negotiations.

 

China, the US, Japan, Russia, North and South Korea reconvened the nuclear talks in Beijing Thursday in the wake of a 48-day recess.

 

(Xinhua News Agency February 13, 2007)