U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth says the U.S. will announce its decision soon on whether it will accept an invitation put forth by North Korea for bilateral talks.

Attending a meeting of the U.S.-Korea Business Council in Washington on Thursday, Bosworth told reporters that he is satisfied with the results of a recent meeting between the director general of the North Korean Foreign Ministry's United States division, Ri Gun, and U.S. special envoy to the six-way nuclear talks Sung Kim.

Bosworth expressed his hopes of meeting with the North's vice foreign minister, Kang Suk-ju, if he visits North Korea.

The U.S. envoy, however, said that bilateral talks will not come before U.S. President Barack Obama's Asia tour next week.