US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a senior North Korean official began talks in New York Thursday to try to salvage a highly anticipated summit between their leaders.

Kim Yong-chol, vice chairman of the central committee of the North's ruling Workers' Party, arrived a day earlier, becoming the highest-ranking North Korean to visit the US in 18 years.

The two sides are expected to determine whether they have enough common ground to go ahead with a June 12 nuclear summit in Singapore between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

"The potential summit between @POTUS and Chairman Kim presents #DPRK with a great opportunity to achieve security and economic prosperity," Pompeo tweeted before sitting down with Kim Yong-chol. "The people of #NorthKorea can have a brighter future and the world can be more peaceful."

POTUS is shorthand for president of the United States, while DPRK is the North's formal name, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Trump said the meetings between Pompeo and Kim have gone "very well" and he expects the North Korean delegation to travel to Washington Friday to deliver him a letter from the leader.

"I look forward to seeing what's in the letter," he said.

Kim Yong-chol, known as a close aide to the young leader, met Pompeo over dinner on Wednesday. The secretary of state later tweeted that it was a "good working dinner," with "steak, corn, and cheese on the menu."

This was their third meeting. They also met during Pompeo's two trips to Pyongyang in April and May.

The US is pushing for North Korea's complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization as the North calls for CVIG, where G stands for security guarantees for the regime. (Yonhap)