South Korea and China have opened another round of talks in Seoul to negotiate the opening of Korea's rice market to foreign imports.

This is the first time South Korea has hosted rice negotiations. Previous discussions had taken place in Geneva or in the nine rice-growing countries with which Seoul is currently negotiating.

A government official said Tuesday that the talks came to be held in Seoul after China accepted South Korea's proposal to open the negotiations in its capital.

The two sides are expected to discuss the possibility of scrapping the current mandatory rice import quota system in favor of a tariff system under which foreign rice is allowed to enter the local market.

Seoul recently concluded its fourth round of rice negotiations with the United States last week in Washington.

At the 1994 Uruguay Round of multilateral trade talks, South Korea was granted a ten-year grace period during which it was allowed to keep rice imports under four percent of domestic consumption.

According to agreements struck at those negotiations, South Korea must conclude talks on the wider opening of its rice market by the end of this year.