North Korean and U.S. officials apparently met in New York for an informal meeting in July, according to a source cited by Yonhap.

The U.S. government’s special envoy for the six-party talks, Clifford Hart, attended the meeting with Han Song Ryol, North Korea’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations.

However, according to the Seoul-based source, "[It] was no more than checking each other's position."

North Korea is said to have criticized the United States for its decision to suspend a shipment of 240,000T of food aid, while the U.S. pointed out that this was due to Pyongyang breaking the terms of the agreement with the rocket launch in April, something which the North continues to deny having done.

However, even if there is the will it is unlikely that the United States will be in a position to resume any kind of meaningful official contact with the North until after the U.S. presidential election on November 6th.