"Given Secretary Pompeo's other commitments, it's true that (he's) available for the talks on Jan. 17-18," the source said.

Pompeo has cut short a trip to the Middle East for a family funeral.

He is likely to attend the Global Chiefs of Mission Conference, to open in Washington on Wednesday, as well.

CNN said President Donald Trump has sent a personal letter to the North's leader. It added his envoy may visit Washington as early as this week.

A Seoul-based newspaper, the Chosun Ilbo, also reported Tuesday that Kim Yong-chol will likely travel to the US capital for a two-day trip starting Thursday. There has been no related announcement yet by either Pyongyang or Washington.

Trump has talked openly about progress in efforts to arrange another meeting with the North's leader.

US media have cited Vietnam and Thailand as candidate venues, but there is a possibility that the truce village of Panmunjom along the inter-Korean border will be picked.

Pompeo was supposed to hold a meeting with Kim, vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party Central Committee, in New York in November, but it was abruptly canceled.

Speculation has been raised in Seoul that the Trump administration might have moved the goal post or lowered its expectations in its bargaining with Pyongyang.

Trump said his administration won't rush to make a deal.

In a recent Fox News interview, Pompeo said, "We're moving forward in these conversations -- lots of ideas about how we might continue to decrease the risk to the American people."

He added, "Reducing the threat from North Korea, whether that's by our success to date in stopping their missile testing, stopping their nuclear testing -- those are the important elements."

Some South Korean news outlets construed the remarks as suggesting a shift of Washington's focus toward the elimination of Pyongyang's intercontinental ballistic missiles away from complete denuclearization, apparently a more difficult aim. 

Meanwhile, Choe Son-hui, North Korea's vice foreign minister, arrived at an airport in Beijing on Tuesday.

Asked about her destination, Choe answered, "I am going to an international conference in Sweden." (Yonhap)