Dhaka, Nov. 12 -- North Korea is unlikely to participate in next week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in China or hold talks with the United States on the sidelines, a South Korean presidential official said Thursday.

"It would be difficult to say there is zero possibility of talks (between North Korea and the United States), but I think the probability might not be high," the official said when asked about the prospects of North Korea joining multilateral diplomatic events or engaging in talks with Washington.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said North Korea's participation in next week's APEC summit was particularly unlikely, adding that the chances of a meeting between Pyongyang and Washington duri...