South Korea made a fresh call Tuesday for the U.N. Security Council to debate North Korea 's uranium enrichment program, which according to experts could produce more nuclear weapons.

The issue of U.N. referral "will be discussed intensively" when U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg visits Seoul on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan said.

He said the issue would also be raised when Alexei Borodavkin , Russia 's chief negotiator to stalled six-party talks on the North's nuclear disarmament, visits on Friday.

Talks would focus on efforts to create a favorable atmosphere for the resumption of the six-party process, Kim said at a news conference.

"We will continue diplomatic efforts to make North Korea realize the international community's stern position that it will not tolerate its nuclear development," he said.

The North last November showed off an apparently functioning uranium enrichment plant to visiting U.S. scientists. It says this is part of a peaceful energy program.

Experts say it could easily be reconfigured to produce weapons-grade uranium, giving the North a second way to make a bomb in addition to an acknowledged plutonium operation.

The U.N. Security Council ordered the North to scrap all its nuclear programs when it imposed fresh sanctions after the country's second atomic test in May 2009.

Steinberg is visiting South Korea and Japan to brief them on last week's Washington summit between U.S. President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao. He will go on to China .

China , the North's sole major ally, for the first time publicly expressed concern at the claimed uranium enrichment program in a summit joint statement.

Obama and Hu also called for "necessary steps" to restart the six-nation talks, which the North abandoned just before its second nuclear test.

It has expressed conditional willingness to return, as China wants.

However, the U.S. , South Korea and Japan say Pyongyang must mend ties with Seoul , which were strained by a deadly artillery attack last November on a South Korean island.

They say the North must also show it is serious about the nuclear forum, which has been meeting on and off since August 2003.

South and North Korea have agreed to hold high-level military talks at a date to be set. However, Seoul demands that Pyongyang accept responsibility for past armed provocations and promise no repetition.

North Korea , striking a softer tone after months of tough rhetoric, said Tuesday it wants reconciliation.

"There is no reason whatsoever for South Korea not to accept the (North's) sincere proposal for dialogue if it acts with reason in the common interests of the nation," ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun said.

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