South Korea “positively assesses” reports of contact between North Korea and the U.S., an official from Seoul’s unification ministry said in a background briefing on Tuesday.

The comment comes after Yonhap News Agency reported per an anonymous source that North Korea said Washington’s proposal to explain the outcome of its recently completed policy review to Pyongyang was “well received.” North Korea had previously been unresponsive to outreach efforts from the Joe Biden administration.