SEOUL, June 23 (UPI) -- The United States' chief nuclear envoy has expressed his hope of visiting North Korea to discuss the nuclear standoff with leader Kim Jong Il.
In a message posted on the Web site of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said he was "more than willing to meet Chairman (of the National Defense Commission) Kim Jong Il."
"I wholeheartedly believe that resolving the North Korean nuclear issue will be greatly beneficial to South and North Korea as well as to the United States," he said in the Korean-language message. "The United States is ready to put this into practice. I hope North Korea will do so."
It is the first time that a senior Bush administration official has expressed hope of meeting the North Korean leader.
The message comes at a time when North and South Korea are holding high-level talks on cross-border reconciliation and the nuclear issue.
