Aust cautious about North Korea: Bishop

Australia welcomes any move toward the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula "given what is at stake", Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says.

Julie Bishop it's not for other countries to dictate to us what we should do in the South China Sea. (AAP) Source: AAP

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has cautiously welcomed North Korea's announcement that it is willing to negotiate with the US on abandoning its nuclear weapons.

"Whether it leads to something, time will tell," Ms Bishop told reporters at the United Nations in New York on Tuesday.

"But North Korea has shown ability to walk away from agreements and to ignore negotiated outcomes in the past."

South Korean officials who met with North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, said on Tuesday he would suspend all nuclear and missile tests while talks with the US are underway.

Ms Bishop said Australia welcomed any genuine attempts at the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula "given what is at stake".

"Undoubtedly," Ms Bishop responded when asked if she believed the crippling sanctions imposed on North Korea by Australia, the US and other nations were behind North Korea's announcement.