BEIJING, Feb 23: The United States on Monday indicated a willingness to consider a freeze of North Korea's nuclear programme as a first step in the dismantling process, as both sides appeared to heed calls for more flexibility.

US envoy James Kelly responded positively during talks in Seoul to conditions attached by South Korea to a nuclear freeze first proposed by Pyongyang in December.

"If such conditions are enforced, the US has no strong objection to a North Korean nuclear freeze," Mr Lee said after talks with Kelly and Mitoji Yabunaka, Japan's chief negotiator at the six-party talks.

The conditions were not spelt out by him but South Korean officials cited by the Yonhap news agency said they include a freeze of all nuclear programmes - plutonium and uranium - followed quickly by steps to dismantle them and then verification.

In return for the freeze, North Korea would receive unspecified counter-measures, Mr Lee added. The apparent softening of the US stance came as North Korea's closest allies China and Russia jointly called for flexibility and patience at the talks following consultations in Beijing. -AFP