[27/July/2010]

Seoul, July 27 (Saba) - US officials are expected to focus on the "framework" of additional sanctions on North Korea when they come to Seoul next week, a diplomatic source here said Tuesday, according to Qatar News Agency (QNA).

"The (US) officials will talk about how to add and execute new sanctions," the diplomatic source said. "Their discussions will be mostly about forms and means of sanctions, rather than about sharing any new intelligence on North Korea," South

Korea's News Agency (Yonhap) quoted the source as saying.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced in Seoul last week that Washington will impose new sanctions on Pyongyang's leaders as punishment for the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan in March.

Seoul and its allies blame the North for the torpedo attack on the warship Cheonan that killed 46 sailors. North Korea denies any role in the sinking.

In Washington, a diplomatic source told reporters that the new sanctions would be carried out in three phases, starting with a new list of North Korean companies or individuals subject to sanctions to ultimately have financial institutions in third countries halt dealings with them.

The US will sever ties with institutions that do not cooperate, the source said.

Saba