The United States says it is communicating with North Korea through various channels to discuss the release of two detained U.S. journalists.

State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood told reporters Tuesday that Washington has been able to communicate with the North when needed through various channels, including the so-called “New York channel.”

Earlier this week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she is hopeful on the issue of the detained journalists, which may suggest that under-the-table negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang on the matter are yielding tangible results.