Beijing ? South Korea on Tuesday urged delegates to six-nation talks on North Korea’s nuclear disarmament to create an atmosphere of trust as participants geared up for another round of negotiations in Beijing.

Tensions between the United States and North Korea, however, were already building. The communist country criticized President Bush for calling North Korean leader Kim Jong Il a “tyrant,” saying the remark put the prospects of the talks in doubt.

North and South Korea, the United States, Japan, Russia and China will participate in the fifth set of negotiations, scheduled to begin Wednesday. They were expected to last three days before a recess to let diplomats attend an Asia-Pacific economic forum in South Korea.

South Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said he met with Kim Gye Gwan, the North’s envoy, Tuesday to discuss the implementation of a joint statement issued at the end of the last round of talks in September.

“We compared North Korea’s thoughts with ours,” Song told reporters after the 80-minute meeting. “There are similar points as well as different points.”

He said all parties must “take actions mutually that are conducive to create confidence.”