South Korea denied reports that North Korea and the United States have held working-level talks in preparation for a potential bilateral summit.

A foreign ministry official said Thursday afternoon that an Asahi Shimbun report claiming that Washington and Pyongyang resumed working-level discussions before October is inaccurate.

The ministry issued the position after consulting with South Korean and U.S. authorities handling North Korea‑related issues.

The report, published earlier that day, stated that North Korea and the United States had resumed the working‑level talks that had occurred repeatedly during the first term of the Trump administration, when three North Korea‑U.S. summits were held, citing sources familiar with North Korea-U.S. relations. 

The Japanese daily said its sources did not detail the meetings' participants or locations.