South Korea's top nuclear envoy said on Thursday that North Korea and the United States could resume working-level talks on the North's denuclearization "soon."

Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, made the remark to reporters as he arrived in Washington for talks with his U.S. counterpart, Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun.

Lee said Washington and Pyongyang have remained in constant communication, adding the New York channel is always open and they can communicate whenever they need to. 

The New York channel refers to the North Korean mission to the United Nations, which has often been used as a communication channel absent formal diplomatic ties between Washington and Pyongyang.

The nuke envoy also said he hopes working-level negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang will resume this month, and that it's greatly important that the two sides sit down for talks. 

He noted that North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui said earlier this month that the North is willing to resume talks with the U.S. in late September. 

Lee is scheduled to meet Biegun and other U.S. officials from the White House and the State Department before flying to New York to attend the UN General Assembly on Saturday.

[Photo : YONHAP News]