I kind of figured this is why this guy was granted an entry visa into the US:

A leading North Korean official could hold talks with the U.S. State Department in his visit to the U.S. late this month.U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said U.S. entry visas have been granted to a North Korean delegation led by Ri Gun, director general of the North Korean Foreign Ministry’s North American affairs bureau, so that member can attend a conference in California at the end of October.

A U.S. official told the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity that Ri is expected to discuss North Korea’s nuclear program with a top State Department official while in the U.S.

On his way back from the Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue in La Jolla, California, Oct. 26-27, Ri is likely to stop by New York for bilateral talks with chief U.S. nuclear negotiator Sung Kim.

The multilateral “track two” forum involves government officials and scholars from the countries party to the six-way talks. A forum to be co-hosted by the Korea Society and the National Committee on American Foreign Policy Oct. 30 in New York is also of a similar kind.

Diplomatic sources predict Ri and Kim will discuss setting up a meeting between special U.S. envoy for North Korea Stephen Bosworth and a top North Korean official. Consequently, the meeting between Ri and Kim is likely to become the first talks between the two sides since the launch of the Obama administration, though unofficial.  [Donga Ilbo]

It looks like once again the North Koreans are setting the agenda with the US giving into North Korean demands to hold bi-lateral talks before any six-party talks are ever held.

I just wish this is something that would be included in US demands during the talks.