FMs of S. Korea, US, Japan to discuss North Korea

Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan began a trip to Washington Sunday for talks with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts on how to deal with North Korea, ministry officials said.

Kim is scheduled to meet Monday with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara to discuss the North's shelling of the South's Yeonpyeong Island on Nov. 23 and the standoff over Pyongyang's nuclear programs, an official said.

Kim also plans to hold bilateral talks with Clinton, he said.