The US and North Korea met again through the so-called New York channel on Monday, State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack said at a briefing yesterday.

"There has been again a diplomatic contact today through the New York channel," McCormack said.

"I think at this point I'm just going to say that it was a diplomatic exchange. Not going to get into the details of the diplomatic exchange. Only to say that it is part of the diplomatic process in anticipation of the second part of this round of negotiations," McCormack said.

The spokesperson stressed that the six-party talks are the forum for the two sides to negotiate.

"But I will make clear that the six-party talks are the place for negotiation, and all of these diplomatic contacts take place within the framework of six-party talks," he added.

The six-party talks, aimed at resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, are to resume next week.

(Xinhua News Agency August 23, 2005)