North Korea has praised one of its former diplomats who was in charge of U.S. diplomacy amid the ongoing stalemate in nuclear negotiations with Washington.

Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling Workers' Party, said on Monday that former Vice Foreign Minister Kang Sok-ju advocated the ruling party's overseas policies firmly rooted in revolutionary principles and contributed to fostering a global environment conducive to North Korea's victorious progress.

The newspaper also commended Kang's aggressive fighting spirit and nimble adaptability during global meetings that paved the way for the North's triumph.

Kang had been a leading figure in North Korea's U.S. diplomacy since the 1990s and all throughout the Kim Jong-il regime and was a key architect behind the 1994 Agreed Framework nuclear deal signed by Pyongyang and Washington.

Before dying of cancer in 2016, he also served in senior positions in the Cabinet and ruling party after Kim Jong-un assumed power. 

North Korea's mention of Kang while stressing notions such as "principles" and "fortitude" is considered as pressure to the Trump administration to change its policy stance.