By Park Song-wu, Reuben Staines
Staff Reporters
Park Han-shik, a professor at the University of Georgia, plans to visit Pyongyang next month for ``track-II’’ negotiations aimed at resuming the stalled six-party nuclear talks and alleviating tensions on the Korean peninsula, the Ministry of National Unification confirmed Monday.

``Even though it’s not an official channel for dialogue, he is an expert on inter-Korean relations,’’ a high-ranking ministry official told The Korea Times, asking not to be named. ``It’s an attempt to find a breakthrough in the nuclear talks through consultations between civilian experts from the two Koreas and the United States.’’

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young told reporters in Beijing on Thursday that he is aware of Park’s plan for the track-II meeting, which refers to civilian dialogue that runs in parallel with official diplomatic contacts.

Park, who has visited North Korea more than 35 times since 1981, initiated track-II dialogue with North Korea about 10 years ago and was once described by Donald Gregg, former U.S. ambassador to South Korea, as ``an architect for inter-Korea rapprochement.’’

``It is very necessary to resume civilian negotiations at a time when the government-level talks have stalled,’’ said Park, who is director of Georgia University’s Center for the Study of Global Issues.

``I hope the dialogue channel can provide a starting point to solve the pending issues involving the two Koreas and the U.S.,’’ he told Yonhap News Agency.

Park said he plans to discuss ways to hold a new track-II forum and regularize contacts during the visit to Pyongyang, which is scheduled for Jan. 22-29. But he added that he could travel to the North Korean capital as early as Jan. 15, when a team from U.S. broadcaster ABC visits the North for a week.

The professor, who was also involved in organizing the 2000 inter-Korean summit, said track-II negotiations must be kept informal to create an environment for frank discussions.

``A representative’s remarks should not be taken to represent his country’s stance in order to maximize the efficiency of negotiations,’’ Park said. ``Participants must be allowed to present candid opinions on pending issues.’’

Inter-Korean affairs experts believe track-II negotiations held during a Washington-Pyongyang forum hosted by Park in November last year played an important role in facilitating the opening of the second round of six-party talks.

During a recent visit to Seoul, Park reportedly held talks with Unification Minister Chung and Foreign Affairs-Trade Minister Ban Ki-moon to exchange opinions on inter-Korean affairs.

Six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear weapons programs have failed to resume since June, when the third round ended with little substantial progress.

North Korea has said it wants to assess the foreign policy direction of U.S. President George W. Bush’s second-term administration before committing to further negotiations.

im@koreatimes.co.kr

rjs@koreatimes.co.kr