Washington ( CNN ) -- U.S. and North Korean officials met secretly in New York in the days before North Korea 's latest round of threats and provocations , although nothing came of the meeting , according to a source familiar with the matter . The source described the meeting as part of regular back channel exchanges between the countries . Clifford Hart , the U.S. envoy for six-party talks aimed at North Korean denuclearization , met with North Korea 's deputy U.N. ambassador , Han Song-ryol , in mid March , according to the source . Northeast Asia on edge ahead of possible North Korean missile test . Hart repeated the Obama administration 's call for North Korea to avoid provocative actions and urged a return to diplomacy , and Han promised to communicate the message to Pyongyang , the source said . The meeting was held as part of the so-called `` New York channel , '' a process used for communicating and passing messages between Washington and Pyongyang in the absence of normal relations . In February , North Korea used the `` New York channel '' to warn the State Department about its third nuclear test . White House spokesman Jay Carney , appearing on CNN 's `` The Situation Room , '' said in general terms that the United States has a `` channel of communications with the North Koreans , and we utilize that channel . '' The meeting was first reported by the Foreign Policy magazine blog , The Cable . Timeline : North Korea 's war of words escalates .
Nothing came of New York meeting days before North Korea unleashed threats . Comment: The Obama administration called for Pyongyang to avoid provocative actions . `` New York channel '' set up for U.S. , North Korea to exchange information , messages .