Pyongyang has acknowledged that most of its nuclear programs are weapons related, during the recent six-party nuclear talks. That's according to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly who headed the U.S. delegation to the multilateral discussions aimed at settling North Korea's nuclear standoff.

Kelly told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Thursday that while Pyongyang said it wanted to maintain a nuclear program for peaceful purposes, it also acknowledged that most of its nuclear programs are weapons-related. The senior U.S. official added that the recent six-party nuclear talks have provided a greater possibility of securing a peaceful resolution to the North's nuclear impasse.

Kelly said that Washington is continuing to study a freeze-for-compensation proposal the North made at the third round of six-party talks last month. North Korea proposed at the Beijing meeting it would freeze its nuclear weapons programs for compensation, including energy aid, lifting of sanctions and removal from Washington's list of terrorism-sponsoring nations.

At the talks, the United States offered Pyongyang three months to shut down and seal its nuclear weapons facilities in return for economic and diplomatic rewards and multilateral security guarantees.

The fourth round of the six-party talks is scheduled to be held by the end of September.