The United States says it’s been calling on North Korea’s new leader to make better choices for its people regarding concerns living conditions haven't improved in the isolated state.

U.S. State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters that Washington has been “for many months now been calling on the new leader to make a better choice for his own people and to invest in their future,” including by working with the U.S. to meet its nuclear obligations.

Nuland’s remarks follow a New York Times article released Monday. Based on interviews with several North Koreans, the report expressed that the life of ordinary North Korean people has gotten worse since Kim Jong-un took office ten months ago.