Seoul: A news report says North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has expressed willingness to engage in "bilateral and multilateral talks."

Kim's comments on Friday are a strong indication that the North could rejoin stalled negotiations aimed at ending its nuclear weapons program.

China's official Xinhua news agency reported in a dispatch from the North Korean capital Pyongyang that Kim said, "North Korea would like to solve relevant issues through bilateral and multilateral talks."

Xinhua said Kim made the comments to Chinese President Hu Jintao's special envoy.

The North has so far insisted one-on-one talks with the United States on its nuclear programs since pulling out of the six-nation negotiations in April.