Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter may visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) next month, U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said on Thursday.
Toner told reporters that the U.S. government is aware of Carter's plan, but emphasized that his potential trip would be private in nature.
He said Carter is not going to the DPRK with any official delegation, and he will not carry any official message.
But analysts believe Carter's move indicates that the U.S. government wants some kind of contact with the DPRK government, as talks to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula are still stuck in a stalemate.
Carter had flown to the DPRK on a private trip in August, bringing an American detained by the country back to the United States.
The American citizen, named Mahli Gomes, is a 30-year-old from Boston who once taught English in the Republic of Korea. He was detained by the DPRK on Jan. 25, 2010 for illegal entry into the country.