(LEAD) Top diplomats of 2 Koreas exchange brief greetings at ASEAN meetings

(ATTN: ADDS more info from 4th para)

VIENTIANE, July 25 (Yonhap) -- The top diplomats of South and North Korea exchanged brief greetings on Monday at Asia-Pacific countries' meetings underway in Laos, diplomatic sources said.

South Korea's Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se bumped into his North Korean counterpart, Ri Yong-ho in a resting room at the National Convention Center, a venue for the meetings led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The room is a place reserved for foreign ministers to take break in between hectic meeting schedules. Ri was there and was about to go out for a bilateral meeting when he encountered Yun sitting near the entrance, according to the sources.

Yun first reached for a handshake and said, "Nice to meet you." Ri returned the greeting, the sources said. But they did not engage in conversation.

Yun and Ri are in the Laotian capital of Vientiane to attend ASEAN meetings including the ASEAN Regional Forum to be held on Tuesday. The forum is a rare international occasion attended by all members of the long-halted six-party talks aimed at ending the North's nuclear development.

South Korea has been firm on its stance not to hold any talks with the North unless Pyongyang shows willingness to meaningfully change in its position on denuclearization. The North conducted its fourth nuclear test in January, which led the United Nations Security Council to adopt its toughest-ever resolution in March.

Before leaving for Laos, Yun told reporters that he has no plans to meet bilaterally with his North Korean counterpart.

kokobj@yna.co.kr
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