Washington should not focus on North Korea sanctions maintenance but strive to develop trust with Pyongyang, one of the DPRK’s largest state-run newspapers reported on Thursday, suggesting confidence-building is a “fundamental premise” to achieving denuclearization.

The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), released a commentary denouncing the Trump administration’s current North Korea sanctions policy just days ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to Pyongyang on Sunday.

Without naming U.S. President Donald Trump, the Rodong said Washington had recently re-confirmed that sanctions would remain in placeuntil denuclearization is achieved and that