Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Kathleen Stephens says actions will be more important than words from North Korea to resume the stalled six-way nuclear talks.

In an interview with Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency on Monday, Stephens said that the U.S. hopes the North will demonstrate what President Barack Obama has called “a seriousness of purpose” through actions rather than words. She said the North’s efforts to improve its relations with the South and to fulfill promises it made to the international community would “ensure a six-party process that will actually lead to real and positive results."

She added that the U.S. “supports continued efforts to improve the communication and the relationship between the North and the South,” and believes that “the weight of the responsibility is on Pyongyang to take steps to improve that relationship.”

Her remarks came as Washington is reportedly discussing the prospect of holding follow-up talks with North Korea.

Monday's interview was Stephens’s last interview with the South Korean media as she is set to conclude her three-year term.