Klaus Von Sperber, director of international armament affairs in Germany's defense ministry, visited Defense Miniser Yoon Kwang-Ung and other Korean military officials, Yoon's office said.

Sperber arrived here earlier Wednesday for a two-day trip.

"The German official is in Seoul for talks on the sale of Patriot missiles deployed in his country," a ministry official said.

South Korea last week revived a project to buy Patriot missiles, but a decision on whether to buy missiles directly from the United States or second-hand ones from other countries has yet to be taken.

From next year, South Korea hopes to replace its aging ground-to-air Nike missiles, introduced 40 years ago, with Patriot missiles.

The South Korean military had planned to buy 48 Patriot missiles from the United States in 2000, but the plan was scrapped because of a dispute over the cost.

The US military deployed new Patriot batteries in South Korea last year to defend its 32,500 troops stationed in the country.

Military experts say North Korea's missile development poses a major threat to regional security on top of its nuclear ambitions.

North Korea has already deployed short range Scuds and Rodongs with a range of 1,300 kilometres (780 miles), while actively developing longer-range Taepodong missiles with a range of up to 6,000 kilometres.

Pyongyang stunned the world in 1998 by test-launching over Japan a Taepodong-1 missile with a range of up to 2,000 kilometres.

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