U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged a resumption of six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear weapons program.

Talks on North Korea's nuclear program are currently suspended as Pyongyang protests U.S. actions to freeze North Korean-related accounts in a Macao banks because of allegedly money laundering by the North.

I would urge the parties to the six-party talks not to slow their efforts but to persevere and press ahead and get everyone back to the table to continue the discussions, Annan said.

I think in terms of priority, the nuclear issue is by far the most important issue and should be given a separate category and priority as compared with human rights and other activities.

Annan arrived in Seoul Sunday for a three-day visit on the first leg of a 2-week Asian tour. He is also to visit Japan, China, Vietnam and Thailand.