U.S. envoy denies meeting North Korean leader

U.S. President Barack Obama's special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, centre, arrives with others after visiting North Korea, at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, on Thursday.

President Barack Obama’s envoy on North Korea says he did not meet with leader Kim Jong Il during his trip to Pyongyang.

Ambassador Stephen Bosworth told a news conference on Thursday in Seoul that he did not request a meeting with the North Korean leader and did not see him during his three-day visit.

Mr. Bosworth says he and North Korean officials had “exploratory talks” on how to get stalled six-nation nuclear disarmament negotiations going again.

Mr. Bosworth’s trip to the North Korean capital is the first by a U.S. official since Mr. Obama took office in January.