North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, seen in March, reportedly told a Chinese official he was willing to return to multilateral talks concerning the country's nuclear program. (Korean Central News Agency via Korea News Service/Associated Press)   

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il reportedly said Friday his country was willing to engage in multilateral talks to resolve his country's dispute with the U.S. and regional powers over its nuclear program.

"North Korea would like to solve relevant issues through bilateral and multilateral talks," China's official Xinhua News Agency quoted Kim as telling a special envoy sent by Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Kim's comments suggest North Korea could be ready to return to six-party disarmament negotiations after walking out on the talks earlier in 2009.

The negotiations, between the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan, are aimed at convincing North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal and to agree to inspections.

But North Korea quit the negotiations, expelled international nuclear monitors and threatened to restart its atomic program after the United Nations Security Council condemned North Korea's launch of a rocket on April 5.

North Korea had been insisting on one-on-one negotiations with the United States over its nuclear program, but U.S. officials said they would consider such talks only if they led to a return to the multilateral negotiating table.

China has hosted the multilateral discussions since 2003. The last session was held in December.

Kim also told the Chinese envoy, Dai Bingguo, that North Korea is committed to "safeguarding peace and stability" on the Korean peninsula, Xinhua reported.

In what was viewed as a goodwill gesture to the United States, North Korea released two detained U.S. journalists in August after a visit from former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

It subsequently released a detained South Korean worker and four captured South Korean fishermen. North Korea has also called for the resumption of stalled tourism talks with South Korea.

With files from the Associated Press