The six-party talks on the Korean peninsular nuclear issue will be resumed in Beijing on Dec.18, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman announced on Monday.

"As a result of the consultations of the parties concerned, the second phase of the fifth round of the six-party talks on the Korean peninsular nuclear issue will be resumed in Beijing on Dec.18," spokesman Qin Gang said.

This will be the first talks since the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) conducted an underground nuclear test on Oct. 9, triggering protests from the international community and complicating the Korean nuclear issue.

"At this discussion, we expect that the parties will discuss ways to implement the September 2005 joint statement," the U.S. State Department spokeswoman Joanne Moore said.

Launched in 2003, the six-party talks, involving China, the DPRK, the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia and Japan, are aimed at finding a solution to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

However, the talks have been stalled since last November as the DPRK refused to return to the talks because of U.S. sanctions against it.

Over the past 13 months, the parties concerned have been engaged in a flurry of diplomatic activities to restart the talks.

In late November, chief negotiators of the DPRK, the United States, the ROK and Japan came to Beijing, aiming at laying the groundwork for the resumption of the talks.

Source: Xinhua