A North Korean embassy official has denied recent reports that portraits of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il have been removed from some public buildings in the Stalinist state.

The embassy official in Moscow stressed Wednesday that such reports were wrong, saying it is impossible to "remove the sun from the sky."

Earlier on Tuesday, Russian news agency Itar-Tass quoted an unidentified foreign diplomat as saying guests invited to official receptions in Pyongyang had seen only portraits of state founder Kim Il-sung.

Portraits of Kim Jong-il are ubiquitous in homes, offices and public buildings across North Korea, where they have hung prominently for years beside pictures of his late father.