A North Korean official on Thursday asked the United States to immediately lift sanctions against his country, warning that its "discrediting" measures could undermine nuclear disarmament talks.
The United States has insisted on keeping tough international sanctions on North Korea until it gives up its nuclear weapons, even as the leaders of the two countries are expected to hold a second summit soon.
"We believe sanctions and pressure are doing more harm than good," said Song Il Hyok, deputy director-general of the North Korean Foreign Ministry's Institute for Disarmament and Peace, at a defense forum in Beijing.
Song said the sanctions were "not at all" confidence-building measures, but measures to undermine confidence.
During their first summit in Singapore in New York, US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a vague pledge on nuclear disarmament, but little progress has been made since then, with both sides discussing how to interpret the text.
Song said Trump and Kim "realized that building mutual trust can promote nuclear disarmament on the Korean Peninsula" during their meeting in Singapore.
He called on Washington to "immediately lift sanctions and obstacles" to building confidence.
Song spoke at the Xiangshan Regional Forum for Dialogue on Defense Issues, hosted by China since 2006, as part of Beijing's efforts to increase its global influence.
