Washington, Oct 25 (IANS) The US special envoy for six- party talks will travel to South Korea, China and Japan next week to discuss policy toward Pyongyang, the State Department announced Friday.

The trip by Sydney Seiler, Washington's new special envoy for six-party talks over denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula, was made known after the US and South Korea urged the North Korea to return to "credible and meaningful negotiations", Xinhua reported.

Washington and Seoul, following a meeting between their foreign and defense ministers in Washington DC Friday morning, agreed that the denuclearisation is critical to "lasting peace and security" on the peninsula.

Seiler last visited the three Asian countries last month with Glyn Davies, US special envoy for North Korea policy.

The six-party talks, that also involve Russia, were initiated in Beijing in August 2003 but have been stalled since December 2008. North Korea dropped out of the talks in April 2009.