The United States has hinted that it could seek to restructure the six-nation dialogue framework as part of efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.

State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Washington would consider discussing with the members of the six-way nuclear talks ways to both restructure the negotiations and reestablish the mechanism in a bid to get Pyongyang to commit to denuclearization.

He made the comment after being asked about Washington’s intentions for a bilateral meeting with North Korea in the context of the six-nation talks.

Kelly said ways to pursue such talks would have to be hammered out, stressing that the U.S. wants to make clear that the ultimate goal is Pyongyang’s complete and verifiable denuclearization.

However, Kelly stressed that in terms of substantive talks, the U.S. is only prepared to do so in the six-party framework.

Kelly’s remark suggests that the U.S. could exercise flexibility with the negotiation framework as Pyongyang is refusing to come back to the six-way talks.

Meanwhile, Kelly also said he is not prepared to talk about any details regarding any negotiating proposals that the U.S. would put forward because Washington first wants to get to the point where it gets North Korea to agree to return to the nuclear talks.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters Tuesday that one of the ways Washington can perhaps get North Korea to engage is by explaining, directly and clearly, what the purpose of the talks is and what the possible consequences and incentives could be.