Official: North Korea must resume talking

SEOUL, March 12 (UPI) -- North Korea needs to rejoin talks on ending its nuclear programs if it wants concessions from the international community, diplomats say.

Nuclear negotiators from Japan and South Korea urged North Korea to return to the six-nation talks, last held in December 2008, the Yonhap News Agency reported Friday.

North Korea, South Korea, China, Japan, the United States and Russia have been involved in the negotiations.

North Korea has demanded the removal of U.N. sanctions before it will return to the talks, but diplomats involved have rejected that.

"The sides agreed the North must return to the six-party talks without any preconditions," said a Japanese official who asked to remain anonymous, "and that although North Korea continues to demand the removal of U.N. sanctions, such a move can only be considered when there is significant progress in the denuclearization of North Korea."

South Korea's foreign minister will visit China next week for talks with his Chinese counterpart on the resumption of the nuclear negotiations, ministry officials said.