South Korean and U.S. nuclear envoys on Monday discussed ways to bring North Korea back to the bargaining table in the run-up to a trilateral session also involving their Japanese counterpart. 

Kim Gunn, director general for North Korean nuclear affairs at South Korea's Foreign Ministry, met here with Sydney Seiler, the U.S. special envoy for the six-party talks. 

Arriving in South Korea on Sunday, Seiler said his trip comes at an "important" time for the long-stalled efforts to resume full-scale diplomacy on the North's nuclear program.

Many expect the North to take provocative acts in the coming months amid reports of its preparations for the launch of a long-range rocket.      

Pyongyang openly said it's not interested in Iran-style nuclear negotiations.

The secretive communist nation seems to be constructing a new facility at the Yongbyon nuclear complex, according to 38 North, a U.S.-based website specializing in North Korea. It analyzed commercial satellite imagery.

The South's government would not provide relevant intelligence to media.

"Our government, in cooperation with close coordination with partner countries and international organizations, is keeping close tabs on the North's activity related to its nuclear facility," the Foreign Ministry said.

It reiterated that Pyongyang should abide by its agreed-upon commitment to denuclearization.

In that regard, Kim and Seiler reviewed the current situation and exchanged ideas on how to restart the six-way talks, a ministry official said.

The talks were last held in late 2008. The other members are China, Japan and Russia.

The envoys are scheduled to hold talks again in Tokyo on Friday, joined by a Japanese nuclear envoy, Shigeki Takizaki, according to the official.

Last week, South Korea's top delegate to the six-way talks Hwang Joon-kook traveled to Beijing for a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei. (Yonhap)