N. Korea, U.S. experts meet in London for informal talks

LONDON, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. experts and North Korean officials held informal talks in London on the Communist country's nuclear program, sources told South Korea's Yonhap News.

Those attending the informal talks Wednesday included Ri Yong Ho, North Korea's senior delegate to the stalled six-nation talks on the North's denuclearization, and Stephen Bosworth, former U.S. special envoy for North Korean policy, the report said.

The six-nation talks remain stalled after North Korea withdrew from them in 2009. Other nations in the talks include China, Russia, Japan, South Korea and the United States.

North Korea, which remains under tough U.N. Security Council sanctions after its conducted its third nuclear test in February, has been calling for resumption of the six-party talks without conditions. However, the United States, South Korea and Japan have said the talks cannot resume unless North Korea demonstrates its firm commitment to meet its previous denuclearization pledges.

Details of the London talks were not available but Bosworth at the end of the meeting told reporters he was pleased with the talks, Yonhap reported. He stressed though he attended the meeting as a civilian, he was not at liberty to discuss the details.

Ri only said the talks touched on resumption of the six-party talks.

Yonhap quoted North Korea watchers said that while the talks were informal and no U.S. official took part in them, the meeting provided a channel of communication for the two sides.