Top North Korean and US nuclear negotiators will hold one-on-one talks in Geneva this week to seek a breakthrough in stalled disarmament talks, officials said Tuesday. The scheduling of the talks could mean that North Korea is ready to respond to a proposed compromise that China has reportedly crafted as host of ongoing six-nation negotiations on the North's nuclear disarmament.
US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill and North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan will meet in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in Washington. McCormack said the talks were expected to last a day, but could go longer.