Top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States will hold talks next week amid speculations that the North appears to be preparing for a possible nuclear test.

According to Seoul's foreign ministry on Friday, Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Noh Kyu-duk will meet with his American counterpart Sung Kim on Monday in Washington. Noh will also meet with other senior officials from the Biden administration during the trip. 

The ministry expects Noh and Kim will exchange views on rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula after Pyongyang's latest launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile and hold in-depth discussions on  future responses. 

The ministry said Noh will depart for the trip on Saturday. 

The two envoys spoke on the phone on April 24, the day when the North fired its first ICBM in over four years. Noh and Kim also held trilateral talks on the phone with their Japanese counterpart Funakoshi Takehiro on Monday.