S. Korean FM to visit US on North's nuke program

South Korea's foreign minister said Thursday he will visit the United States next week to discuss North Korea's nuclear weapons program with top officials in Washington. Song Min-soon said he will meet US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other senior US officials to talk about how to advance a 2005 agreement in which the North pledged to disarm in return for security guarantees and aid. His trip, which is due to run Wednesday through Saturday, comes after international talks aimed at implementing the breakthrough deal ended last week without any progress.