Mr Kim's train arrived in the border city of Khasan, a RoK Foreign Ministry official said on condition of anonymity. A second RoK ministry official also said that Kim's train had crossed the border, citing the same information.

Yonhap News agency and YTN television also reported the arrival of the train, quoting RoK government officials they did not identify.

Moscow is a member of six-nation talks aimed at persuading the DPRK to abandon its nuclear programs in exchange for aid and security guarantees.

Separately, Russia's Foreign Ministry announced on August 19 that the country has decided to provide the DPRK with 50,000 metric tons of grain as humanitarian assistance and that the first shipment arrived Friday.

AP