The U.S. State Department has vowed to focus on making its denuclearization negotiations with North Korea a success.
However, an official at the department stressed that, if the North fails to denuclearize, its maximum sanctions pressure on Pyongyang will remain in full effect.
When asked about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un criticizing the U.S. for its hostile sanctions, the State Department said the recent talks were only possible because of the full implementation of UN Security Council resolutions.
It emphasized the world is concentrating on whether Kim Jong-un fulfills his promise of the final and fully verified denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.