The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee will open a hearing on Thursday to be briefed about the current security situation on the Korean Peninsula from top government officials.

The committee said Tuesday that the hearing would see the participation of Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Wallace Gregson and Commander of U.S. Forces Korea General Walter Sharp.

The government officials are expected to answer questions on North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s recent visit to China and the possibility of the resumption of the six-way nuclear talks. Lawmakers are also expected to ask questions about a reported plan by the North’s ruling Workers’ Party to convene a meeting of its top delegates for the first time in 44 years.

The committee said some parts of the hearing could be carried out in private, suggesting that the hearing may deal with sensitive security issues.