A senior government official predicts that the fifth round of six-party nuclear talks will not likely produce any tangible outcome.

Deputy Unification Minister Lee Bong-jo made the projection at a recent business forum sponsored by LG Corporation, adding that participants to the six-way talks must also prepare for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which opens in Busan on November 18th.

He said the upcoming disarmament talks would likely confirm the positions of each nation on the implementation of the previous round's agreements based on an 'action-for-action' principle.

The senior official argued that, all things considered, it would not necessarily be disappointing if the fifth round of talks failed to produce fruitful results.