Diplomatic sources say the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program will unlikely open Saturday as expected and see a delay of a few days.

A government source said Sunday that last-minute complications pushed back the resumption date, though the six parties had apparently agreed on the date proposed by host China.

Foreign sources also said Beijing delayed the announcement on the talks' resumption because of schedule disagreement among the parties. Nonetheless, they said the talks will resume soon.

The Washington Post had quoted chief U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill as saying the talks will resume Saturday in Beijing and take a break for the Christmas holidays.

The daily added that the conditions surrounding the schedule seem fluid.

In a trilateral meeting with Washington and Beijing last month, Pyongyang said it will discuss denuclearization measures proposed by the United States but declined to guarantee that it will carry them out.