SEOUL Korea and the United States have managed to work out draft agreements on six pending issues of bilateral negotiations aimed at revising the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), but there is still a long way to go because of far-reaching differences on key issues, a Foreign Affairs-Trade Ministry official said Dec. 5.

Following a two-day expert-level meeting, the two sides began plenary sessions on Dec. 1 for a seven-day run, but have failed to iron out differences on major issues despite intensive talks thus far, he said.

"It is still hard to forecast the prospects for the talks," the official said on condition of anonymity. ?e still believe that no deal is better than a bad deal."

At present, negotiators are addressing relatively easy issues first because it is hard to tackle the main issues, he added.

Until Dec. 4, the countries held negotiations at the conference halls of the Korean Council on Foreign Relations in southern Seoul, but moved the conference site to the Central Government Complex in downtown Seoul, which is located near the U.S. Embassy.

"As we held discussions at the building in southern Seoul, we faced difficulties in communications and administrative support," the official said.

Among the issues on the table are criminal jurisdiction, the environment, the granting and return of areas and facilities, the quarantine of animals and plants, working conditions for Korean employees and control of Korean nationals access to U.S. Forces Korea (USFK)? Non-Appropriated Fund facilities.

Seoul? primary goal is to revise the agreement by reflecting Korea? changed international status and the results of previous revisions made bilaterally between the United States and other countries where U.S. troops are stationed.

These nine-day talks could be regarded as a last-ditch effort to narrow their differences over the revision of the agreement, which has been one of the constant sources of trouble between the two allies.

At present, the two sides are seeking to conclude negotiations before U.S. President Bill Clinton? term expires in January.

During an earlier meeting in August, the U.S. negotiators agreed to transfer the custody of U.S. suspects at the time of indictment, but called for the "ensured legal rights of the accused." Under the current agreement, criminal suspects are to be transferred to Korean authorities after the completion of all judicial proceedings.

The latest SOFA negotiations began in August, nearly four years after the talks were left deadlocked over criminal jurisdiction and other issues in 1996.

The two sides revised the agreement in 191 and a new round of negotiations for additional revisions began in 1995.