SEOUL, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) have reached an understanding on relaunching the four-party framework to negotiate a permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported on Sunday, citing government officials.

    During a recent visit by Stephen Bosworth, U.S. special representative for the DPRK policy, in the DPRK, the two sides agreed that once the six-party nuclear disarmament negotiations are resumed, the denuclearization issue would be dealt with in light of the Joint Statement of September 19, 2005, while the four-party framework, involve the two Koreas, the United States and China, would also be relaunched to discuss on a peace treaty, South Korean government officials were quoted as saying on condition of anonymity.

    It was the DPRK that first requested the matter to be discussed within the four-party framework, and the U.S. side agreed to it, the officials were quoted as saying.

    The first round of the four-party talks was held in 1997.