U.S. special envoy to the six-party talks, Sung Kim, has been named U.S. chief negotiator to the nuclear talks, taking the place of Christopher Hill.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday told a news conference that Kim will head the U.S. delegation to the multinational talks and maintain constant contact with Washington’s allies and partners in close cooperation with U.S. special envoy for North Korea policy Stephen Bosworth.

Kim, a Korean American, served as the State Department's Korea desk director for two years starting in the summer of 2006. During that time, he handled talks with Pyongyang and acted as the working-level chief delegate on the disablement of the North's nuclear facilities in Yongbyon.