Malaysia's foreign minister said the country will begin formal talks with North Korea in the coming days on the return of nine Malaysians from Pyongyang after they were banned from leaving the country amid diplomatic tensions over the killing of the North Korean leader's half-brother.

Anifah Aman said North Korea had indicated they were ready to start negotiations.

"They want to start talking. We do not know what their demands are - we need to figure out what we can do to get the best result," he told reporters on Saturday.

Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of Kim Jong Un, was killed last month in Kuala Lumpur using a highly toxic chemical weapon, sparking a diplomatic spat between the two countries.