N.Korea may join six-party talks in April

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has internally decided to return to long-stalled six-nation talks on its nuclear arms activities in early April, South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo reported on Saturday, citing an unnamed source from the North.

The source, speaking to the daily in Beijing, said without elaborating that the North was expected to make its own proposals on nuclear disarmament.

The report comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong-il reportedly may soon visit China, amid growing pressure for Pyongyang, hit by U.N. sanctions after its nuclear test in May 2009, to return to negotiations.

More than a year ago communist North Korea pulled out of the six-party talks that bring it together with South Korea, China, the United States, Japan and Russia, and offer Pyongyang aid in return for nuclear disarmament.

As recently as Tuesday the North said it would boost its nuclear weapons capability because of hostile U.S. policies. Pyongyang has also warned any talks on denuclearizing would come to a standstill due to U.S. and South Korean joint military drills.

China wants the six-party talks to restart before July but acknowledges it would be difficult, the Chinese envoy on North Korea's nuclear issues said earlier this month.

(Reporting by Rhee So-eui; Editing by Jerry Norton)