A fisherman who has escaped from North Korea after three decades of captivity could return home as early as this week.

A diplomatic source said Sunday that negotiations for Choe Uk-il's return has begun to pick up after China pledged Thursday to speed up the legal process for his repatriation.

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing made the pledge Thursday in a meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon on the sidelines of a regional forum in the Philippines.

Reports say Choe is undergoing procedures to return to South Korea under the protection of the South Korean consulate in Shenyang, China.

He was kidnapped by North Korean agents in 1976 while aboard a squid fishing boat on the East Sea.