The government will appoint Shinsuke Sugiyama, the Foreign Ministry's director general for global issues, as Japan's chief envoy to the six-party talks on denuclearizing North Korea, according to a senior official.

He will replace Akitaka Saiki, who will become an ambassador.

The Cabinet will also name Keiichi Hayashi, 59, minister at the embassy in London, as ambassador to Britain, succeeding Shin Ebihara, the official said.