North Korea’s representative to the six-party talks Kim Kye-kwan did not leave Beijing on Thursday as originally scheduled.

North Korea watchers say that Kim, who has been in Beijing since Tuesday, will likely return to Pyongyang on Saturday at the earliest.

A diplomatic source in Beijing said Kim’s extended stay points to a lack of significant progress in discussions with China to resume the six-party denuclearization talks.

It added that Kim could have reported the previous two days’ discussions to North Korea and is waiting for new orders.

The source also interpreted the North Korean envoy’s stay in Beijing to mean that Kim is waiting for better results, and that it could be evidence of progress in the nuclear discussions.