Wi Sung Lac, deputy head of the delegation of the Republic of Korea (ROK) participating the Beijing six-party talks said Thursday that ROK and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) held a meeting after the official collective talks.

He said the six-party talks lasted from 10:30 am to 2:00 p.m. Thursday. In the afternoon, bilateral meetings were held after a meeting for delegations' deputy heads.

Wi Sung Lac said that ROK and Russia had a 40-minutes bilateral consultation. Then, ROK and China held talks between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

The official said that delegation chiefs of the south and north sides of the Korea Peninsula have a contact after the bilateral talks between ROK and China.

The ROK and DPRK delegations left the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse at 8:30 p.m., the last two delegations left the Chinese top venue on Thursday, the ROK official said.

Shin Bong-Kil, spokesman for the ROK Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry said earlier Thursday that delegations from the south and north sides of the Korea Peninsula have had bilateral contact after Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing's welcome banquet Wednesday evening.
 
(Xinhua News Agency August 29, 2003)