The nation’s top negotiator to the six-way nuclear talks Chun Yung-woo has called his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye-kwan a "serious, flexible and capable diplomat."

Asked what he thought of the Pyongyang official during an interview on Tuesday, Chun said that he thinks Kim is very sincere and that what he says can be trusted to some degree.

On working-level talks between Pyongyang and Washington to normalize bilateral ties, Chun said that the two sides will probably hold the talks alternately in their respective cities.