North Korea has repeated its calls for the United States to drop its "hostile" policy against it, saying that the U.S. should not even consider denuclearization negotiations before doing so.

Kim Yong-chol, who led nuclear negotiations as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's counterpart, relayed the position Tuesday in a statement carried by the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency.

Kim said that there is no room for talks without the complete and irreversible withdrawal of the U.S.' hostile policy, which he described as the root cause of nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula. 

Kim stressed that improving relations between Washington and Pyongyang and establishing a peace regime are possible within the framework of denuclearization negotiations only after mutual trust is established and all threats against the North's security and development are completely removed.

Kim, a vice chair of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, added that Pyongyang is demanding that the U.S. completely stop military exercises with South Korea.