The chief U.S. envoy to the six-party talks on ending North Korea's nuclear weapons program will visit South Korea this week to join an annual defense conference between the allies, a government official said Monday.
  

Ambassador Sung Kim, special representative for North Korea policy, is scheduled to visit South Korea on Tuesday to take part in the two-day Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue starting Wednesday, the official said on condition of anonymity.
  

His visit comes amid North Korea's vows to launch a satellite, which is seen as a cover for a long-range ballistic missile test. The communist state has also hinted at conducting another nuclear test, claiming its nuclear reactors are in full operation.
  

On Wednesday, Kim is scheduled to meet with First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yong. He will also hold a luncheon meeting Friday with his South Korean counterpart, Hwang Joon-kook, about a week after they held talks in Washington, D.C., according to the official.
  

Speaking to Yonhap News Agency last week, Kim said he is willing to hold talks with Pyongyang on ways to resume the long-stalled six-party talks, which aim to dismantle North Korea's nuclear program in exchange for economic and political concessions.
  

The forum, involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the U.S., was last held in late 2008. (Yonhap)