S. Korea: Chinese cooperation vital

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SEOUL, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- South Korea's foreign minister said as he departed Sunday for talks in Washington that enlisting China was key to responding to North Korea.

"How to draw cooperation from the international community and neighboring countries in dealing with the North's attack and its uranium enrichment program and, particularly, how to cooperate with China will be the focus of the meeting," Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan told Yonhap at the airport.

Kim is meeting Monday with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara to discuss the North's Nov. 23 shelling of the South's Yeonpyeong Island and the rising threat of its nuclear programs.

The ministers are expected to discuss a Chinese proposal that six-party talks -- the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States -- meet soon to ease tensions.

South Korea has reaffirmed its position that North Korea must show a commitment to denuclearization by deeds before rushing into talks for their own sake.

"The Chinese proposal is expected to be a key topic for discussions," a foreign ministry official said.