Washington's sunny approach may also be designed for the benefit of its allies, amid whispers that positions of the major powers may not be as close as they seem, observers say.
The plot thickened on Friday, when the White House announced the appointment of former senior domestic policy aide Jay Lefkowitz as special envoy to promote human rights in North Korea.
Though the step was required by law, its timing also raised questions, as North Korea has reacted furiously to past US criticism of its apalling human rights record.
Could an angry reaction derail hopes for progress on the talks?
"It should not, in our judgment, ... affect it in any negative way. Obviously, we hope it would affect things in a positive way," a senior Bush administration official said in a conference call.
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