After three years of diplomatic deadlock, the Obama administration says it's open to holding preliminary talks with North Korea to see if there's a chance of ridding the country of nuclear weapons.
A senior South Korean envoy travelled to Washington and Beijing this past week as nations involved in long-stalled aid-for-disarmament negotiations consider their options.
It remains unclear if a diplomatic overture to North Korea will even get to first base. North Korea appears intent on retaining its nuclear weapons, and a senior US official says the North has yet to show a serious interest in re-engaging on the issue.
President Barack Obama has broken the ice with other long-standing adversaries such as Iran, Cuba and Myanmar. An attempt to negotiate a nuclear freeze by North Korea in 2012 failed.
