The message was conveyed by Ivanov, who had met with South Korean President Kim Dae Jung in Seoul earlier, in a visit to North Korea on Sunday, the sources said.

Ivanov conveyed South Korea's willingness to reopen bilateral talks if the North stops provoking its southern neighbor around the military lines that separate them, the sources said.

It is unclear how the North Korean leader responded to the South's overtures during the meeting with the Russian foreign minister.

Relations between the two Koreas have become cooler since June 29, when a naval shoot-out between the two sides in the Yellow Sea killed at least four South Korean soldiers and an unknown number of North Koreans.

Ivanov also delivered a personal letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin in his meeting with the North Korean leader, according to Russia's Itar-Tass news agency. But the contents of the five-hour talks were not disclosed.

Ivanov later met with South Korean Foreign Minister Choi Sung Hong in Brunei to inform the official of the contents of the talks he had with Kim Jong Il.

Russia has recently shown eagerness to act as a bridge between the two Koreas. Experts say Ivanov's latest mission will help strengthen Russia's position as a useful broker between the two countries.