U.S. diplomat engaging in back-channel diplomacy with North Korea - AP

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after a security briefing at his golf estate in Bedminster, New Jersey U.S. August 10, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has been engaging in back-channel diplomacy with North Korea for several months, the Associated Press reported on Friday, as President Donald Trump stepped up his warnings to Pyongyang amid rising tensions in the region. The dialogue involved Joseph Yun, the U.S. envoy for North Korea policy, and Pak Song Il, a senior North Korean diplomat at the United Nations, the AP reported, citing unidentified U.S. officials and others briefed on the process. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Bernadette Baum)