U.S. special representative for North Korea policy Stephen Bosworth will visit North Korea next week.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Friday that Bosworth will engage in direct talks with North Korean officials after arrival in Pyongyang on Tuesday. Toner said Bosworth will focus discussions on ways to resume the six-party talks.

During his three-day visit to the North, Bosworth is likely to meet with First Vice Foreign Minister Kang Sok-ju. It remains uncertain whether the U.S. official will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

Bosworth is scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Sunday for consultations with South Korean officials before boarding a private plane at Osan Air Base to head to Pyongyang.

In a previous statement, Bosworth stressed that the upcoming U.S.-North Korea talks will be held within the context of the six-way nuclear discussions.