South Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Soo-hyuk met his U.S. counterpart James Kelly in Washington D.C. on Monday, local time.

Their discussions focused on the agenda and timetables for the fourth round of six-party nuclear talks and a prior working group meeting to prepare for the high-level negotiations.

The two sides are hoping the next round of nuclear talks will produce substantial progress in resolving the nuclear issue.

To that end, the two have reportedly analyzed the North's response to a U.S. proposal for ending the confrontation that was presented during the third round of six-party nuke talks.