Jo Chol-su, director-general of the North American Department at the North's Foreign Ministry attends the Moscow Nuclear Nonproliferation Conference in Russia, November 8, 2019. (Photo: Kyodo / VNA)

Speaking to the press after attending a nuclear nonproliferation conference in Russia on Friday, Jo stressed that North Korea has given the US plenty of time and is still waiting for an answer later this year.

Earlier, Jo met with US Special Envoy for North Korea Mark Lambert on the sidelines of the conference. Nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang have remained deadlocked after the most recent meeting between the two sides in Sweden ended without a breakthrough.