Update at 22:05 KST: This article has been updated to include a response from the U.S. State Department, and further comments from an expert.

North Korea and the U.S. have agreed to begin working-level nuclear negotiations this coming Saturday, DPRK first vice foreign minister Choe Son Hui said in a statement on Tuesday.

“The DPRK and the U.S. agreed to have preliminary contact on Oct. 4 and hold working-level negotiations on Oct. 5,” Choe said in a statement carried by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The North Korean delegation, she continued, is prepared to engage in upcoming nuclear talks.

“The