N Korea cools tension as Rice leaves region

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ended a three-nation Asian tour to rally support for UN sanctions on North Korea over its October 9 nuclear test, flying out of Beijing for Moscow.

She told reporters before leaving that North Korea's tone was still belligerent, and it was not clear if the unpredictable communist state was serious about returning to talks on winding up its nuclear arms programme that broke down a year ago.

But Kim Kye-gwan, North Korea's top nuclear negotiator, told the ABC network's "Good Morning America" on Friday that Pyongyang hoped to return to the talks.

A report that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il had told a Chinese envoy no more nuclear tests were planned further raised hopes that the crisis was cooling.

"I understand he expressed clearly there was no plan to conduct nuclear tests," South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted a diplomatic source as saying.

Japanese news agency Kyodo quoted Foreign Minister Taro Aso as saying he had information, although not confirmed, that Kim had said he would not conduct another test.

Rice's visits to Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing were overshadowed by speculation that North Korea would conduct another nuclear test, but Kim Kye-gwan ducked the question in the ABC interview.

"I think you can closely watch what happens," he said. "We've not said there will be another test. Others have said that."