U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reportedly plans to appoint a special envoy to deal with U.S. policy on North Korea before she leaves on a trip to Asia next week.

Sources in Washington said Stephen Bosworth, a former U.S. ambassador to South Korea and current dean of the diplomacy program at Tufts University, is highly likely to be named the next U.S. envoy to the six-party nuclear talks.

The Associated Press and Reuters also reported similar stories quoting unidentified State Department officials who say Bosworth has been offered the job and Clinton will likely announce his appointment around Saturday in New York.