The U.S. State Department has confirmed that North Korea acknowledged an inquiry by the United Nations Command(UNC) regarding Travis King, the U.S. servicemember who crossed into the North last month.

Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said during a press briefing on Wednesday that there was a call from the North to the UN Command at the demilitarized zone in the preceding 48 hours.

The spokesperson said, however, that it was not a substantive call and is therefore not viewed as progress, adding that the outreach made by the U.S. to North Korea through diplomatic channels has still not been answered.

The remarks came a day after Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said that the North acknowledged that it had received the UNC’s request for information about the U.S. soldier.