US Experts Head for NK Over Bosworth Visit

A trio of U.S. experts on North Korea is reportedly visiting North Korea from Saturday in a mission to pave the way for the expected trip by a U.S. envoy to hold bilateral talks, Yonhap reported Saturday citing unidentified diplomatic sources.

The team includes Jack Pritchard, president of the Korea Economic Institute (KEI), Scott Snyder, director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy at the Asia Foundation, and Nicole Finneman, director of research and academic affairs at the KEI.

They will stay there until Tuesday, it said.

"The group led by Pritchard will visit North Korea today after having consultations with the U.S. government," it cited the source as saying. "They are likely to meet with key North Korean officials involved in the country's nuclear program."

Stephen Bosworth, special representative for North Korean policy, is scheduled to visit Pyongyang on Dec. 8, U.S. President Barak Obama announced earlier this week in Seoul.