The U.S. State Department has again reiterated the importance of sanctions in producing successful results in North Korea's denuclearization but also stressed it is currently focused on achieving success in negotiations with the North.

An official from the State Department's Office of the Spokesperson made this remark in response to a query by Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency.

Regarding North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's latest criticism of global sanctions, the official said that if the North fails to denuclearize, sanctions will remain on all fronts.

The official said that Chairman Kim reaffirmed the denuclearization pledge he made with President Trump in Singapore and the U.S. is still confident the promise will be kept.

The official said the U.S. and its allies are devoted to the same goal of the final and fully verified denuclearization North Korea has agreed to and the current focus is on leading successful negotiations.

Regarding Pyongyang's repeated call for a declaration of a formal end to the Korean War, the State Department official reaffirmed the stance of a peace agreement following denuclearization, saying a peace regime will replace the Korean War armistice once the North denuclearizes.

The official stressed that President Trump wants a "final" denuclearization so that the nuclear issues does not emerge ever again.