North Korea’s foreign ministry sharply criticized the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. on Friday for visiting South Korea and Japan, accusing her of “begging” for support to “enliven the weakened illegal sanctions” on Pyongyang.

The statement from Kim Son Gyong, a vice minister for the DPRK’s foreign ministry, came as Linda Thomas-Greenfield wrapped up her weeklong trip to the region to discuss alternatives to the U.N. Panel of Experts monitoring DPRK sanctions, after Russia vetoed the extension of its mandate last month.