The U.S. government on Wednesday urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to show seriousness on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsular as the two countries' envoys are expected to meet in New York on Thursday and Friday.

State Department spokesperson Mark Toner told reporters that the U.S. wants to use the "exploratory" New York meeting to determine if the DPRK is ready to fulfill its commitments under the 2005 joint statement of the six-party talks, and to take " concrete and irreversible steps" towards denuclearization.

"It's an exploratory meeting, so I think what we're looking for is, in our mind, a clear indication that North Korea is serious about moving forward," he said.

He said the U.S. envoy for DPRK policy Stephen Bosworth will lead an "interagency team" to meet with the DPRK delegation, led by its vice foreign minister Kim Kye-Gwan, at the U.S. mission in New York from Thursday to Friday.

Last Friday, South Korea's chief nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lac and his DPRK counterpart Ri Yong-ho held a bilateral meeting in Bali, Indonesia, during which, the two sides agreed to work to resume the six-party talks which has been on hold for more than two years.

Following that development, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday invited the DPRK's vice foreign minister Kim Kye- Gwan to New York for talks on the potential resumption of the six- party talks.