SEOUL - South Korea's top nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lac will travel to China this week for talks over Pyongyang's nuclear program, the South Korea's foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

Wi Sung-lac is scheduled to pay a brief one-day visit to Beijing Thursday for a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei, the ministry said in a statement.

The visit comes after rare meetings between the DPRK and US officials over resuming six-party denuclearization negotiations, which raised prospects for reviving the aid-for-disarmament talks stalled since December 2008.

The visit also coincides with DPRK top leader Kim Jong-il's week-long tour in Russia. Kim is expected to meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday.