China's envoy on Korean affairs, Ning Fukui, will visit Seoul to seek ways to promptly resume the six-party talks on settling North Korea's nuclear issue.

Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency said Tuesday that it had confirmed that Ning will visit South Korea on Wednesday, followed by a trip to Japan and the United States.

During his stay in Seoul, Ning reportedly will meet with Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Soo-hyuck as well as other members of the South Korean delegation who attended previous rounds of the six-way talks.

The reports said Ning is likely to hold contacts with Pyongyang at an appropriate time after hearing the positions of Seoul, Tokyo and Washington on their proposal to provide compensation to the North in the event the Stalinist state freezes its nuclear activities.

The outcome of Ning's trips is drawing much attention as the trips are apparently aimed at opening the six-way talks shortly after the U.S. presidential elections in November.