SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Yonhap) -- The chief nuclear envoys from South Korea and Japan were to hold talks on Thursday in Seoul to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue following the death of Kim Jong-il, officials said.

   Lim Sung-nam and his Japanese counterpart Shinsuke Sugiyama, who arrived in Seoul Thursday for a two-day visit, will share views on the situation after the death of the North's former leader and consult on the way forward regarding the North's nuclear issue, according to foreign ministry officials.

   The Japanese envoy's trip precedes high-level three-way talks between Seoul, Tokyo and Washington next week on the issue.

   Since the death of Kim Jong-il, his youngest son and chosen heir, Kim Jong-un, has taken the helm of North Korea and the power transfer seems to be running smoothly. However, it remains unclear whether the new leadership is willing to hold talks with the outside world.

   The six-party talks, which involve the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the U.S., have been dormant since late 2008, but efforts to get North Korea back to the negotiating table gained some momentum last year.

   On Wednesday, North Korea announced for the first time that the U.S. had offered to resume food aid if the North halts its uranium-enrichment program, criticizing America for "politicizing" food aid.

   The North appeared to keep the door open for further talks with the U.S. on food aid, saying Pyongyang will "wait and see" whether Washington has a willingness to build "trust."

   kdh@yna.co.kr
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