offering middleman role between North Korea and the United States," said Baek Seung-Joo, a researcher of the state-run National Defence University. Likewise, South Korea has already said it will offer North Korea a huge shipment of energy aid, should North Korea decide to drop its nuclear programme, local media reported. The issue of incentives could be on the agenda when U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki- Moon meet in Seoul on Wednesday, according to local media. --SP 2232 Local Time 1932 GMT
