Seoul: South Korea's president has questioned the role of long-dormant North Korean nuclear disarmament talks and says it is time that regional powers meet without the North.
The so-called six-nation talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear program in return for aid remain stalled since December 2008. Pyongyang has since conducted three nuclear tests, including one on January 6.
The six countries are the two Koreas, the US, China, Russia and Japan.
President Park Geun-hye said today that it is time to push for a five-nation meeting without North Korea but did not offer specifics.
She urges China, the North's last major ally, to try to make North Korea follow in Iran's footsteps.
Teheran last year agreed to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.
