Four weeks after the United States took North Korea off a terrorism blacklist, senior diplomats from the two countries met Thursday to discuss the next steps in implementing Pyongyang's pledge to dismantle its nuclear program.
Sung Kim, the U.S. special envoy to the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear disarmament, and Ri Gun, North Korea's director for North American affairs, both said their talks covered a wide range of issues.
Kim said the meeting was "substantive, detailed, and we look forward to continuing to keep in touch."
Ri said "We all agree (in) the exchange of views what we have to do more, and what is the next thing."
Kim and Ri were scheduled to attend a working dinner Thursday night with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, the chief U.S. negotiator with North Korea on denuclearization.
President Bush removed North Korea from the U.S. State Department's "state sponsors of terrorism" list on Oct. 11 after the North relented on nuclear inspection demands.
Since then, the State Department said the North has stepped up its disabling of the nuclear reactor at Yongbyon. It has also allowed inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to return.
Kim told reporters he expects China, which chairs the six-party talks, to propose dates sometime soon for the next round of talks.
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