During her two-day visit starting Friday, Kawaguchi will exchange views with her South Korean counterpart Yoon Young-Kwan over their positions at the August 27-29 talks in Beijing, it said.

She is also due to make a courtesy call on South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun.

The United States, Japan, China, Russia and the two Koreas are to attend the talks in a bid to defuse tensions over a 10-month standoff about the Stalinist nation's nuclear programme.

WAR.WIRE