China-- Wu Dawei

Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei, born in 1946, served as Chinese ambassador to the Republic of Korea (ROK) from 1998 to 2001, and ambassador to Japan from 2001 to 2004.

Wu has traveled to the DPRK and ROK over the past year as China worked to revive the stalled negotiations after the third round of talks was held June 2004. Wu took over from Wang Yi, who is currently Chinese ambassador to Japan.

DPRK--Kim Kye-gwan

Kim Kye-gwan, born in 1943, served as vice foreign minister since 1995. He participated in the second and third round of six-party talks as the head of the DPRK delegation.

Kim met with the top US negotiator on July 9 in Beijing, leading to the North's return to the talks. They met again in Beijing Monday afternoon.

The United States -- Christopher Hill

Christopher Hill, is the US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. He served as US ambassador to Poland and ROK. At the beginning of 2005, he was appointed as headof the US delegation to the six-party talks. This is also his debut at the six-party talks.

ROK--Song Min-soon

Deputy Foreign Minister Song Min-soon took over as the ROK's top negotiator in January.

He was ROK ambassador to Poland from 2001 to 2003, where he established a close relationship with Christopher Hill, then American envoy in Warsaw and now top U.S. negotiator at the six-party talks.

Russia-- Alexander Alexeyev

Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alexeyev has represented Russia since the third round of talks last year, replacing Alexander Losyukov who became Russian ambassador to Japan.

Alexeyev is former Russian ambassador to Pakistan and has alsoheaded some of the ministry's Asian departments.

JAPAN-- Kenichiro Sasae

Kenichiro Sasae, director-general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, is also a new head of the Japanese delegation to the six-party nuclear talks, who took up his post only in December last year.

Sasae previously served as director-general of the ministry's Economic Affairs Bureau. He takes over from Mitoji Yabunaka.