By Ryu Jin
Staff Reporter

North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun met U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell Friday to discuss the North’s nuclear problem in the highest-level meeting between the two sides since 2002.

The 20-minute meeting took place on the sidelines of an annual security forum of Asia-Pacific countries in Jakarta, known as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

The two officials exchanged opinions on stances and viewpoints related to the nuclear issue, said Chong Song-il, a North Korean diplomat, in a statement.

According to Chong, Paek told Powell that the nuclear issue must be resolved in a peaceful manner through dialogue, adding Pyongyang remains committed to the basic goal of the de-nuclearization of the whole Korean Peninsula.

Citing ``no trust’’ between the two sides, Paek also stressed the nuclear dispute must be resolved through ``simultaneous actions,’’ according to Chong.

Paek said the North ``will not regard the U.S. as a permanent enemy’’ if the U.S. gives up its current ``hostile policy,’’ Chong said.

Powell, in return, told the top North Korean diplomat that there was an opportunity for ``concrete progress’’ toward the U.S. goal of complete nuclear disarmament by the North, U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.

Boucher said the two officials discussed proposals that each side put forward at last week’s six-party talks in Beijing involving vice minister-level negotiators.

``The discussion was useful to help clarify each side’s proposal,’’ Boucher said.

The third round of six-way nuclear talks involving the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia ended last Saturday without any major breakthrough, but with an agreement to meet again by September.

The meeting between Powell and Paek, which was not on any schedule, was held after breakfast on the sidelines of the ARF. They met two years ago at the same forum, which was then held in Brunei.

South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, who had bilateral talks with Paek on Thursday, also met with Powell on Friday on the sidelines of the ARF that ended after a two-day run.

The officials of the two allies discussed, among other issues, Seoul’s plan to send some 3,000 additional troops to Iraq and the North Korean nuclear problem, according to officials.

jinryu@koreatimes.co.kr