South Korea, the U.S. and Japan have convened in a trilateral meeting in Beijing one day ahead of working-level nuclear talks.

A Japanese delegate said the three countries agreed Tuesday to discuss North Korea's demand for compensation in return for freezing its nuclear facilities if such a nuclear freeze leads to the North's complete nuclear dismantlement.

The official said the three countries had reaffirmed their policy on pushing for Pyongyang's complete, verifiable and irreversible scrapping of its nuclear weapon programs.

In the previous six-party nuclear talks in February, the North demanded energy aid in return for freezing its nuclear program. Pyongyang also wants Washington to drop what it perceives as "hostile" policy toward the North in return for its nuclear freeze.