"I think North Korea's nuclear issue and (South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun's) impeachment are seperate matters," Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon told journalists during a weekly briefing.
South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun was suspended from office on Friday following an unprecedented impeachment vote by the opposition-led parliament ahead of general elections set for April 15.
Ban said he would send Lee Soo-Hyuck, deputy foreign minister and South Korean chief delegate to the six-way talks, to China tomorrow for talks on establishing working groups.
"The government is actively pushing ahead with its own plan for six-way talks without regard to situations on the impeachment," Ban said.
"I hope that we will have one working group meeting in April after consultations with China, Russian and, if possible, North Korea".
The second round of six-nation talks held in Beijing last month yielded an agreement to establish working groups and to convene before June but failed to resolve differences over a key US demand for the complete dismantling of the Stalinist country's nuclear programmes.
The US State Department also said Friday it did not expect South Korea's political turmoil to affect the six-way nuclear talks after telephone talks between Ban and US Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Roh is awaiting a final ruling from the Constitutional Court, which must decide within six months on whether to uphold his impeachment or nullify it to restore him to power. – Sapa-AFP.
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