N.Korea's Kim says U.S. key to nuclear talks return

SEOUL Oct 5 (Reuters) - North Korea said on Tuesday it was ready to return to international talks on ending its nuclear weapons programme but demanded negotiations first with the United States.

"The hostile relations between the DPRK (North Korea) and the United States should be converted into peaceful ties through the bilateral talks without fail," its KCNA news agency quoted leader Kim Jong-il as saying during a meeting with visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

"We expressed our readiness to hold multilateral talks, depending on the outcome of the DPRK-U.S. talks. The six-party talks are also included in the multilateral talks." North Korea walked away from the talks with five regional powers on ending its nuclear weapons programme late last year and has repeatedly said the format was dead.

(Reporting by Jonathan Thatcher)