U.S. cautious about reports of N. Korea's intent on dialogue

The U.S. government declined to bite Thursday on the latest carrot offered up by North Korea, saying it needs more details on the reported overture.

On a trip to Beijing, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's special envoy, Vice Marshal Choe Ryong-hae, was quoted as saying his country is willing to take China's advice and resume joint talks with the U.S. and other nations.

Choe made the remarks in a meeting with Liu Yunshan, the Chinese Communist Party's fifth-ranked leader, according to local media.

Choe's comments may signal a significant change in North Korea's attitude. Pyongyang churned out ferocious military threats in March and April but tensions have eased in recent weeks.

Still, the U.S. was cautious about the suggestion by the unpredictable and reclusive communist nation.

"I don't think we know enough one way or another to characterize it," State Department deputy spokesman Patrick Ventrell told reporters.

He said Choe's trip is under way and the U.S. has yet to receive an update from China on it. A day earlier, Ventrell said Beijing gave prior notice to Washington on Choe's visit.

Ventrell stressed that North Korea knows what it has to do for the resumption of negotiations with the U.S.

Washington has repeatedly called for Pyongyang to demonstrate its seriousness about denuclearization through actions, not words.

The U.S. is also striving to boost cooperation among the five nations involved in the now-suspended six-way nuclear talks with North Korea. The other members are South Korea, Japan and Russia.

"We're committed to keeping the five parties of the six-party process very much united and focused on denuclearization... our core goal in that regard," Ventrell said.

Choe's visit to China is being closely watched amid expectations that Beijing may be able to broker talks between Pyongyang and Washington.

Choe is one of the most influential North Korean officials in the Kim regime.

"North Korea lauds China's enormous efforts to maintain peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and push for a return to talks and consultations for the problems of the Korean peninsula, and is willing to accept China's suggestion to have talks with all parties," Choe told the Chinese official, according to China's state broadcast arm, CCTV.

In Korea, the North on Thursday proposed a joint event with the South to mark the anniversary of the inter-Korean summit deal in 2000 on promoting cooperation and reconciliation between the two sides.

The North has annually commemorated the June 15 signing of the agreement between the South's Kim Dae-jung and the North's Kim Jong-il, both now dead. In South Korea, civic groups have held separate events to mark the anniversary.