SEOUL -- The U.S. envoy to North Korea, fresh from his first trip to the country, said Thursday that he found agreement with officials there on the need to restart the multilateral disarmament process known as the six-party talks, but no firm commitment about when.

"It remains to be seen when and how the DPRK will return to the six-party talks," envoy Stephen Bosworth said at a news conference, referring to North Korea by the initials of its full name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

On Friday, North Korea's state news agency said the two countries deepened their "mutual understanding" as a result of his visit and that the North would "continue cooperation" with the U.S. The statement didn't offer more specific details or suggest what would happen next.

North Korea pulled out of the six-party talks earlier this year after balking at the disarmament measures it agreed to with the Bush administration and the four other countries in the negotiations: China, Japan, Russia and South Korea.

Later, Pyongyang announced it would discuss the nuclear issue only in one-on-one talks with Washington, leading to the visit that began Tuesday by Mr. Bosworth and a small group of officials from the U.S. state and defense departments.

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