On May28th, South Korean top envoy to the six-party talks, Hwang Joon-kook leaves Seoul Gimpo International Airport for Beijing for talks on North Korea's nuclear issue. [Photo: CFP]

Chief nuclear envoys from China and South Korea held talks on Thursday, seeking ways to resume long-stalled multilateral talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

China's top envoy to the six-party talks, Wu Dawei has met with his visiting South Korean counterpart, Hwang Joon-kook in Beijing.

The talk came a day after South Korea, the United States and Japan agreed in Seoul to step up pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambition, while keeping a diplomatic door open.

It's also reported Sung Kim, the chief U.S. envoy to the six-party talks, arrived in Beijing on Thursday for a separate meeting with Wu.

This week's diplomacy comes as North Korea has raised tensions in the region by claiming to have successfully test-launched a ballistic missile from a submarine and made significant progress in miniaturizing nuclear bombs.

The six-party talks, involving South Korea, North Korea, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan, have been dormant since late 2008.