WASHINGTON -- The United States hopes to hold working-level talks with North Korea soon to make progress on denuclearization and a second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the State Department said Wednesday.

Trump said Tuesday that the two sides are working to arrange a summit after the Nov. 6 midterm elections in one of three or four locations.

Working-level talks would be led by US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun and North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui.

"No trip announcements to make at this time, but that's something that we're looking at right now," department deputy spokesperson Robert Palladino said during a press briefing.

"Hopefully soon," he added. "We'd like to continue progress moving forward."

Trump and Kim held their first summit in Singapore in June, yielding a commitment from North Korea to work toward "complete"

denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in exchange for security guarantees from the US.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo traveled to Pyongyang last weekend in a bid to hammer out the details of the deal and arrange a second meeting between the leaders.

Biegun, who accompanied Pompeo on the trip, said he invited his North Korean counterpart to meet as soon as possible to continue the discussions. (Yonhap)