U.S. media are following North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's hint at the North's possible return to the six-way nuclear talks.

The Washington Post said Kim told special Chinese envoy Dai Bingguo that Pyongyang is willing to return to bilateral or multilateral talks to discuss its nuclear weapons program.

The report said Kim's comment could signal a potential shift of policy on the North's nuclear program.

The New York Times said Pyongyang’s return to the talks could open the way for bilateral talks with Washington.

The daily urged caution, however, quoting South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan as saying the reason North Korea insists on direct talks with the U.S. is that it wants recognition as a nuclear state.