The U.S. point man on North Korea had offered to meet with a top diplomat from the communist nation in a third country, but the proposed meeting did not materialize because the North insisted on a meeting in Pyongyang, a source said Monday.

Amb. Sung Kim, special representative for North Korea policy, wanted to meet with North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan, the former chief nuclear negotiator, and conveyed a meeting proposal via the North's mission to the United Nations, the source said.

The proposal was made before the U.S. official embarked on a trip to Japan and China last week.

But the proposed meeting did not take place because the North insisted on Kim visiting Pyongyang, instead of the two sides holding a meeting in a third country, the source said on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

Wrapping up his Asia trip, Amb. Kim told reporters in Beijing on Friday that he was disappointed not to hold a meeting with the North, even though the North Koreans were aware he would be in the region and it would have been an opportunity for substantive dialogue on the nuclear issue.

On Sunday, the North claimed the U.S. rejected its invitation for Kim to visit Pyongyang.

If confirmed, the U.S. dialogue offer to the North would represent a shift in its long-standing stance that the communist nation must first take concrete steps demonstrating its commitment to give up its nuclear program before negotiations reopen.

The State Department declined to confirm the proposal but said the U.S. is open to talks with the North.

"We remain open to dialogue to discuss a path back to authentic and credible negotiations on denuclearization. We do not discuss the details of our private diplomatic communications with the DPRK (North Korea)," a State Department representative said.

Washington has been under criticism for taking too hard a stance on Pyongyang and refusing even to hold talks with the country. Supporters of engagement have called for the U.S. to hold at least unofficial or exploratory discussions with the North over how to reopen the formal six-party talks.

The six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear program have been stalled since late 2008. The communist nation has since carried out two more underground nuclear tests and a series of long-range missile and rocket launches. (Yonhap)