North Korean chief negotiator Kim Kye-gwan told reporters in Beijing the two sides decided to discuss the issue which was raised during Thursday's general session. The U.S. has taken a series of punitive actions against the North, accusing Pyongyang of trafficking counterfeit dollars and narcotics. Last month, the U.S. Treasury Department identified and froze the assets of eight North Korean companies suspected of aiding in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Washington's chief envoy Christopher Hill said the U.S. sanctions were law-enforcement issues irrelevant to nuclear disarmament talks. The North Korean negotiator said the sanctions have violated the spirit the joint statement of principles adopted in September by the six countries. Some North Korea analysts see Pyongyang's move as a protest against Washington's demand for the communist country to scrap all its nuclear programs.

The decision to hold bilateral talks came after the talks on Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions recessed on Friday with no breakthrough and no date set for their resumption. Hill said while the participating countries discussed reconvening the meeting in December, the next round was unlikely to open within this year due to tight diplomatic schedules.

Arirang News