(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-01-31 20:01

PYONGYANG -- A senior US diplomat visited the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Thursday in a bid to persuade Pyongyang to make a full declaration on its nuclear programs.

Sung Kim, director of the State Department's Office of Korean Affairs, arrived here after his visit to South Korea Tuesday and Wednesday.

Kim said at the airport that the main focus of his trip is to hold talks with the DPRK's Foreign Ministry on issues related to the nuclear declaration.

Kim is expected to stay in the DPRK until February 2.

Under an agreement reached in October 2007 at the six-party talks, which involve the United States, the DPRK, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia, the DPRK agreed to disable its key nuclear facilities at the Yongbyon complex, and to declare all other nuclear programs by the end of the year.

The DPRK has denied that it has missed the deadline to submit the declaration, saying that because "other participating nations have delayed the fulfillment of their commitments, the DPRK is compelled to adjust the tempo of the disablement of some nuclear facilities on the principle of 'action for action'."