S Korean UN chief sends condolences to North

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 3 (Reuters) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sent his condolences on the death of the North Korean foreign minister, saying he hoped it would not hinder the six-party talks on Pyongang's nuclear program.

The death of the North Korean minister, Paek Nam-sun, 77, was announced today by the country's official media.

Ban, South Korea's foreign minister until last year, said he had worked with Paek ''for peace and prosperity on the Korean peninsula over the years,'' according to a statement from UN spokeswoman Michele Montas.

''The Secretary-General hopes that the death of Foreign Minister Paek does not, in any case, hinder the ongoing six-party process or the way for North Korea's foreign policy to open up to the international community,'' Ban said.

Negotiations aimed at persuading North Korea to scrap its nuclear weapons ended without progress last month during talks in Beijing among North and South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.

Paek and Ban last met at a meeting of Association of South East Asian Nations ministers in Vientiane in 2005. A smiling Paek shook hands with Ban for the cameras and, in their talks, tried to calm fears about the North's nuclear plans.

REUTERS SRS PM0145