Negotiators from the US, South Korea and Japan are to meet in Beijing to discuss the deadlock over North Korea's nuclear programme.
The talks follow initial moves by North Korea to reverse steps to dismantle its nuclear plant at Yongbyon.
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This week it began moving some disassembled parts out of storage and back to the Yongbyon reactor.
"We need to break the deadlock at an early date," South Korean negotiator Kim Sook said as he left for Beijing.
"It is an important moment in which North Korea should resume the disablement measures and enter the six-way talks process."
Stand-off with US
North Korea agreed in February 2007 to give up its nuclear ambitions in return for aid and diplomatic concessions.
In June it handed over long-awaited details of its nuclear facilities. In return, it expected the US to remove it from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
But the US wants North Korea to agree to a process of verifying the information - something the two sides have so far failed to do.
Last week North Korea announced it had halted disabling work at its Yongbyon nuclear reactor. Officials from countries negotiating with North Korea now say that it is moving some equipment out of storage and back to the plant.
Envoys from the US, Japan and South Korea will hold a hastily-arranged meeting later on Friday. A Chinese negotiator will join the talks on Saturday.
"There is no information on whether North Korean officials will come to Beijing," the South Korean envoy said.
Probe delay
In a separate development, North Korea has announced that it will delay a fresh probe into the abduction of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s to train spies.
In 2002, it admitted that it had kidnapped 13 Japanese citizens. Five have been returned and Pyongyang says the other eight died.
But Japan insists that North Korea abducted more people than it acknowledges, and wants more proof of the eight deaths.
North Korea said it would hold off on the probe until it established the policies of the new Japanese leader.
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda announced his resignation earlier this week and the current favourite to replace him is the ruling party secretary-general, Taro Aso.
A well-known hawk, he has called for a tougher line towards North Korea - something that will worry the communist state.
(BBC)
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