SEOUL, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- South Korea Sunday rebuffed a Chinese appeal to resume talks on North Korea's nuclear program, a presidential official said.
Chinese envoy Dai Bingguo paid an unscheduled visit to President Lee Myung-bak Sunday morning and urged a resumption of six-nation talks on Pyongyang's controversial nuclear program, five days after North Korea shelled a South Korean island, the Yonhap news agency said.
Senior presidential aide Hong Sang-pyo said the request was denied.
"(President Lee) made clear that it is not an appropriate time to discuss" the issue, Hong said.
Soon after the meeting concluded, China's chief nuclear negotiator renewed the call for talks on state-run TV.
"The Chinese side, after careful studies, proposes having emergency consultations among the nuclear envoys in early December in Beijing to exchange views on major issues of concern to the parties at present," Wu Dawei said.
Talks between China, Japan, the two Koreas, the United States and Russia collapsed in a stalemate in December 2008.
China has said little about the North's attack last week, but has indicated it won't tolerate military activity in its waters as the United States and South Korea engage in live-fire joint naval exercises just 10 miles from the North Korean coast, the report said.
