The United States hopes to resume talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on normalization of bilateral ties somewhere in Southeast Asia by the end of August, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported on Thursday.
According to Yonhap, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said Thursday in Manila that he and his DPRK counterpart Kim Kye-gwan have already discussed the resumption of the talks.
"But we need to find a mutually acceptable place," Hill was quoted as saying. He said the talks will likely be held "in the last week" of August.
Hill, who is attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum in Manila, is also U.S. chief negotiator for the six-party talks on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.
Under a joint agreement reached during the six-party talks on Feb. 13, the United States agreed to normalize ties with DPRK while DPRK promised denuclearization.
