North Korea may announce if and when it will return to the six-party nuclear talks during U.S. special envoy Stephen Bosworth's visit to Pyongyang next week.

Japan's Sankei Shimbun cited several officials in Tokyo, who were informed by the U.S. government, as saying that Pyongyang might make an announcement over when it will return to the six-party talks.

The report added that the offer to resume the stalled multilateral dialogue would be in return for Washington's agreement with Pyongyang regarding bilateral talks.

In Seoul, however, a more pessimistic view on the prospects of U.S.-North Korea bilateral talks was visible.

A senior Seoul government official told a group of reporters Monday that there is no confirmed signal that the reclusive regime would return to disarmament talks.

This view has been backed by statements released by those who have recently returned from North Korea, such as the Chairman of the Federation Council of Russia, Sergei Mironov, and Korea Economic Institute President Jack Pritchard.