Not for the first time, American and South Korean officials are trying to get inside the head of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il after he revealed his country's nuclear ambitions. According to sources in Seoul, North Korean officials who talked to the assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, James Kelly, on October 3-5 in Pyongyang were really looking for a breakthrough in their negotiations with the US when they came clean on their country's controversial nuclear weapons programme. Yim Sung-joon, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung's senior secretary for national security affairs, believes that Pyongyang was actually looking for a window of opportunity rather than resorting to renewed nuclear brinkmanship when its vice-foreign minister, Kang Sok-ju, suggested that both sides table all their agenda for a package-deal discussion. That interpretation is expected to come under intense scrutiny in the weeks ahead as Japanese, US and Korean officials gather for their regular policy consultation meetings, according to sources. Their recommendation will be heard at a summit in Mexico at the end of this month, as Mr Kim, US President George W. Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi meet on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) forum. Mr Kelly arrives in Seoul today from Beijing, where he met Chinese officials on the Korean nuclear crisis. The US, with Seoul's blessing, is asking China to play a more active role in capping Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. Analysts believe Washington's declared policy of using dialogue, rather than confrontation, in dealing with the nuclear crisis in Korea has helped to defuse tension, enabling Seoul to explore negotiations with the North. While Mr Kim has declared that he strongly opposes nuclear arms development by the North, his Unification Minister, Jeong Se-hyun, is heading for Pyongyang today for meetings with senior North Korean officials as part of ministerial-level talks on economic co-operation. But policy consultation among the allies is likely to be more difficult in the wake of Pyongyang's admission of its nuclear weapons programme. The US, South Korea and Japan have all come under pressure from their respective lawmakers to review or stop economic and food aid to the North. Mr Koizumi has already run into public criticism over his handling of North Korea's admission that it had kidnapped Japanese citizens. Japanese media have told him not to promise any economic aid without resolution of the nuclear crisis. Meanwhile, on the issue of aid to North Korea, officials expect the Bush administration to review its pledge under the Agreed Framework to supply half a million tonnes of heavy fuel each year until the completion of the nuclear power construction project promised by the US and South Korea under an international consortium. The American pledge to provide 800,000 tonnes of food is also expected to be reviewed. Even if the Bush administration wanted to go ahead with the provision of food and fuel, the US Congress would probably put up heavy resistance, said William Drennan of the US Institute of Peace in Washington. In Seoul, Mr Kim is coming under pressure from the opposition majority in the National Assembly to curtail his economic aid, following criticisms that his government has withheld information regarding the North's nuclear programme to protect his engagement policy. Seoul has pledged to send 400,000 tonnes of food and 100,000 tonnes of fertiliser to North Korea.