US nuclear envoy heads for DPRK in bid to save deal

US nuclear envoy Christopher Hill embarked on a mission to rescue an unraveling disarmament deal with Pyongyang, traveling to the region yesterday as part of a rare trip to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Hill's visit to the DPRK, set to begin today, could determine the fate of the disarmament-for-aid pact that Pyongyang has been flouting with a series of moves to reassemble its Yongbyon nuclear facilities.

"Let's see if we can make some progress," Hill told reporters upon arrival in the Republic of Korea (ROK) en route to the DPRK.