North Korea has confirmed that the United States recently tried to initiate contact, but it will continue to ignore any communication unless Washington withdraws its hostile policies toward Pyongyang.

North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui issued the position on Thursday in a statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency(KCNA).

Choe confirmed that the U.S. has attempted to initiate contact since mid-February through diverse channels including the New York channel, which refers to North Korea's mission to the United Nations based in the city.

Choe said that the U.S. has reached out to Pyongyang even the day before its combined exercises with South Korea started from a "third country." 

Dismissing the U.S. attempt at contact as a "cheap trick to buy time," Choe stressed that no North Korea-U.S. contact or talks will be held unless the U.S. withdraws its hostile policies on the North and that Pyongyang will continue to ignore the U.S.' attempts to reach out to the North.

The attempts were reportedly made by sending emails and telephone messages via various routes, including by a third country.

The statement comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are in Seoul for talks with their South Korean counterparts.