Campbell: No decision yet on next steps

SEOUL, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Much work still remains before deciding on the next steps in the talks with North Korea on its nuclear disarmament, a top U.S. official said in Seoul Thursday.

Speaking to reporters, Kurt Campbell, assistant U.S. secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, commented on the two days of U.S.-North Korea talks in Geneva this week on the resumption of the six-nation negotiations on the North's denuclearization.

There was no breakthrough in the Geneva meeting but the talks were described as positive and generally constructive. It was the second such meeting. The first one was held in July in New York.

"I think it would be fair to say that we did make some progress," said Campbell, who was in Seoul as part of an Asian tour. "There were no breakthroughs. There is a substantial amount of work that needs to be done. No decisions have been taken about next steps."

The six-party talks among the two Koreas, the United States, Russia, China and Japan on the North's denuclearization have stalled since 2009 when the North walked out. Since then China has been pressing the North to return to the talks.

A North Korean foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying North Korea and the United States have agreed to hold further talks.