Five officials from North Korea's Foreign Ministry will attend an academic conference in New York this week, where they will likely meet with U.S. government officials.

Radio Free Asia said Wednesday that the delegation includes Ri Gun, deputy chief negotiator to the six-way nuclear talks, and deputy head of the North's mission in New York, Han Song-ryol.

The two-day academic seminar starting Thursday will see the participation of U.S. and South Korean officials and may well provide a venue for working-level parties of the three nations to discuss Pyongyang's return to the nuclear bargaining table.

U.S. deputy chief negotiator to the six-party talks, Joseph DeTrani, is expected to attend the conference, while Wi Sung-lac, political minister at the Korean Embassy in Washington will lead the South Korean delegation.

Radio Free Asia said the U.S. administration has, however, stressed that the New York forum is strictly a non-political, private event.