Reuters news agency says there is little expectation North Korea will accept a new U.S. proposal to end the nuclear standoff.

Quoting an unidentified U.S. official, Reuters said the goal of the U.S. proposal is less about breaking the impasse and more about satisfying its ally South Korea, which has been pushing for concessions to the North.

The official characterized the U.S. proposal as "alliance management."

Meanwhile, the New York Times also reports that the new U.S. proposal on ending North Korea's nuclear dispute was made in response to pressure from China and American allies in Asia.

The proposal gives North Korea three months to seal and shut its nuclear facilities.

The reports said that after that period, the continuation of oil delivery and the talks would depend on North Korea giving international inspectors access to suspected nuclear sites. The proposal also envisions North Korea meeting a series of deadlines for disclosing the full nature of its facilities, disabling and dismantling them, and then shipping them out of the country, as Libya did.