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The climate for a possible resumption of North Korea-US dialogue improved on Nov. 8 when North Korea released two long-term US detainees.

The release came after US President Barack Obama responded to Pyongyang’s proposal to let the Americans go by sending Director of National Intelligence James Clapper as a presidential envoy.

“It’s a wonderful day for them and their families. Obviously we are very grateful for their safe return,” Obama said at a Nov. 8 event at the White House.

Negotiations for the release went quickly. According to diplomatic sources in Washington, North Korea’s proposal to have a minister-level envoy sent came around two weeks ago. US officials were reportedly taken aback by the change from the North, which had typically preferred to have former presidents come as envoys for detainee releases.

After some consideration, Obama finally designated Clapper as envoy and notified Pyongyang, with a final agreement coming some time around Nov. 3. That same afternoon, Clapper suddenly announced he was backing out of a scheduled engagement to speak to a Council of Foreign Relations (CFR) event in New York on Nov. 5. Notice to Seoul about his upcoming visit was reportedly given around the same time.

Clapper flew into Pyongyang on Nov. 7 on a military plane boarded at a US Air Force base in Guam. He stayed overnight before leaving Pyongyang the next day with detainees Kenneth Bae, 46, and Matthew Miller, 25, and arriving back in the US later than night.

Clapper took with him to Pyongyang a personal letter from Obama addressed to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The letter described Clapper as “Obama’s ‘personal envoy’ to bring the Americans home,” CNN quoted a senior administration official as saying.

No face-to-face meeting between Clapper and Kim reportedly took place during the visit.

For now, the Obama administration is keeping quiet on how Clapper spent his time in North Korea. But his overnight schedule has some believing he may have met with senior North Korean government officials to discuss issues of mutual interest. Past meetings, and the ranks of the officials involved in the them, suggest he may have met with Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong or first-Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan.

Washington is insisting Clapper’s visit was unconnected to nuclear negotiations with Pyongyang.

A senior official told the Daily Beast that Clapper “was not there to negotiate.”

“DNI Clapper was prepared to listen to what North Korea has to say on the nuclear issue, and to reiterate our long-standing nuclear policy,” the official added, suggesting Clapper may have heard out Pyongyang’s thoughts on the nuclear talks and communicated Washington’s position.

North Korea experts in the US said the release and Clapper’s visit are unlikely to lead to a resumption of Pyongyang-Washington dialogue or the six-party talks straight away, but may help improve the climate for resuming dialogue. But they’re also stressing the need for Pyongyang to show its commitment to denuclearization so nuclear talks can get back under way.

“The release isn’t going to lead to any new diplomatic situation right away, but it did create an atmosphere where the US administration can proceed toward new dialogue,” said Tony Namkung, an expert on North Korea-US relations.

“A lot of it hinges on what Pyongyang does now, but the barrier to negotiations will be lower than it was,” Namkung added.

The New York Times wrote that “with the Iran nuclear negotiations approaching a major deadline, and the possibility of a new dialogue to test whether Mr. Kim’s advances are sincere, Mr. Obama has a chance to make some headway with two countries that have posed both nuclear and human rights challenges to the United States and its allies.”

By Park Hyun, Washington correspondent

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