U.S. lays ground for N. Korea meet
From CNN State Department Correspondent Andrea Koppel
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is holding out for non-aggression guarantees from the U.S.
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S., South Korean and Japanese officials are expected to meet in Washington next week to coordinate plans for six-party talks with North Korea, a senior State Department official has told CNN.
Russia and China are also intending to participate in the talks, designed to persuade North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons program.
U.S. officials say next week's talks should help hone talking points for a second round of talks with the Stalinist regime.
The last round in Beijing ended unsuccessfully in April after North Korea insisted on one-on-one talks with the United States, rather than multilateral talks with China, too.
On Thursday, Secretary of State Colin Powell sent a subtle signal to Pyongyang that the United States might be prepared to compromise on a top North Korea demand -- a written security guarantee the United States will not attack it.
Powell said there could be a way to "capture assurances to the North Koreans ... that there is no hostile intent."
But he added that "there are ways that Congress can take note of it without being a treaty or some kind of pact."
A senior State Department official said this is "not an entirely new formulation."
However, he added that Powell "does a lot of his own thinking" and added that the comment could be an attempt by the United States to float a trial balloon ahead of the six-party talks, for which a time and place have not been set.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi was in Pyongyang this week meeting with North Korean officials to finalize the setting and timing, which could happen as soon as this month in Beijing.
