The U.S. is reiterating that it will not lift sanctions on North Korea before the communist country returns to the six-way nuclear talks and takes verifiable actions toward denuclearization.

State Department spokesman Philip Crowley made the remark during a regular news briefing Friday in Washington.

Crowley said that the North knows what must be done if it wants to change its relationship with the U.S., adding that Washington is not going to reward Pyongyang for returning to the six-party nuclear talks.