North Korea is known to have told China that it will not conduct a second nuclear test if the United States pledges to stop its "bullying."

Sources on Sunday said North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and Deputy Foreign Minister Kang Sok-ju made the comment to special Chinese envoy Tang Jiaxuan in Pyongyang.

Kim is known to have also ruled out additional nuclear tests and hinted at a return to the six-way talks to Tang Thursday.

Pyongyang also urged Washington again to lift financial sanctions soon for the resumption of the talks.

North Korea has insisted on a lifting of financial sanctions first before returning to the talks, including the unfreezing of its accounts with the Macau-based Banco Delta Asia. But Pyongyang has apparently changed its stance by proposing a "return-first, lift-later" proposal.

One Seoul official calls the comments a positive change, but others say interpreting the North's "softened remarks" as a basic change in attitude is difficult, considering the communist country's habit to demand returns for its actions in the past.

Another official said the key is how Washington recognizes the changed stance.