Nations press for North Korea talks

Mr Wen told a news conference after a meeting of the leaders of the countries that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is showing flexibility and that the three countries had to "seize the opportunity" to make progress on disabling Pyongyang's nuclear programme.

Mr Wen visited North Korea last week, and Mr Kim told him his country may end its boycott of the talks, depending on its negotiations with Washington.

American officials have said talks with North Korea may be possible if they are part of the six-nation disarmament negotiations that Pyongyang spurned after it was condemned for conducting a rocket launch in April and nuclear test in May.

Japanese officials said the US had indicated it might meet with North Korea and that Pyongyang appears increasingly willing to return to the talks.

Key to drawing the North back into disarmament talks are UN sanctions imposed after the rocket launch and nuclear test.

Pyongyang earlier had insisted it would never return to the talks, which involve China, Japan, the US, the two Koreas and Russia. Mr Kim's offer of dialogue appears to reflect the North's keenness for direct engagement with Washington - a perennial demand.

On Friday, Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama and South Korean president Lee Myung-bak said they agreed the North should not be given aid until it begins to dismantle its nuclear weapons programme.

North Korea is pushing to send its deputy nuclear envoy Ri Gun to the United States later this month for a private security forum, a South Korean diplomat said. He asked not to be identified because the forum's organisers have not announced details of the session.

The planned trip raises speculation that Ri could meet with US officials to lay the groundwork for possible direct talks with Washington.