SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's chief nuclear envoy headed to the United States Thursday for talks on North Korea amid China's push to jump-start the stalled international talks on Pyongyang's nuclear programs.

   Wi Sung-lac's trip comes as Beijing's nuclear negotiator has been visiting other members of the six-party nuclear talks to break the impasse in the negotiating process overshadowed by the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship in March.

   It also comes days after North Korean leader Kim Jong-il wrapped up a surprise visit to China. Beijing said through its official media Monday that Kim hoped for an early resumption of the nuclear talks at last week's summit with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

   The Chinese-hosted talks also involve the two Koreas, Japan, Russia and the U.S.

   In Washington, Wi plans to meet with Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, U.S. special envoy for North Korea affairs Stephen Bosworth, nuclear negotiator Sung Kim and other officials to discuss the recent series of developments.

   The Chinese nuclear envoy, Wu Dawei, visited North Korea last month to seek ways to reopen the stalled negotiations. He has since visited South Korea, Japan and the U.S. to discuss the outcome of his discussions in Pyongyang.

   Officials in Seoul said that Wu won the North's consent to a "three-step" proposal to resume the process, which calls for the U.S. and the North to hold bilateral talks first before joining the other members in an informal six-party meeting and then a formal session.

   On Wednesday, Wu met with Steinberg in Washington.

   "Six-party talks are an important way to maintain peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula," he said after the meeting.

   He also pressed "relevant parties to make efforts for an early resumption of the six-party talks," saying, "We now have many difficulties toward the resumption of the six-party talks."

   The U.S. urged Beijing to exercise more of its influence over the North to change its behavior.

   "China has a special and leading role to play in trying to push North Korea to be a more constructive player in this process," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said. "China has a special responsibility. It has been a leader within the six-party process. We will look to China to demonstrate leadership going forward. China has had recent high-level meetings with the North Koreans."

   South Korea and the U.S. have said that North Korea should show by action that it is serious about abandoning its nuclear programs before resuming the nuclear talks that the communist regime has been accused of capitalizing on to win economic concessions.

   The South has also urged Pyongyang to show a "responsible attitude" toward the ship sinking that left 46 sailors dead, though officials said an apology from the North is not a precondition for the nuclear talks.

   Earlier this week, Washington announced fresh financial sanctions against key North Korean entities and individuals to punish the regime for the ship sinking, warn against future provocations and pressure the country to give up its nuclear ambitions.

   jschang@yna.co.kr
(END)