North Korea's deputy chief delegate to the six-way nuclear talks Ri Geun will likely convey Pyongyang's pledge to severely punish financial crimes and pursue measures to prevent their recurrence during his visit to the United States.

That's according to Japan’s Mainichi Shimbun daily, which reported on Ri's intentions on Friday, quoting a diplomatic source in Beijing.

Pointing out that Pyongyang had pledged to punish those involved in the North's past abduction of Japanese citizens and to prevent a recurrence of the kidnappings, the source projected that the North would use the same policy to weather its counterfeiting row with Washington.

Last week, a North Korean foreign ministry spokesman told the North’s Korean Central News Agency that Pyongyang would severely punish any illegal financial activities, but added that there is no evidence that the Stalinist state was guilty of counterfeiting and money laundering as claimed by the U.S.