North Korea is not interested in reopening talks with the United States on freezing or dismantling its nuclear program "unilaterally first," the country's ambassador to China said Tuesday, dashing hopes that Pyongyang may follow the path of Iran in dealing with its nuclear ambition.

The North Korean Ambassador to China, Ji Jae-ryong, also declined to comment on China's role in resolving the North's nuclear issue, apparently reflecting strained political ties between the allies.

"We are not interested at all in dialogue to discuss the issue of freezing or dismantling our nukes unilaterally first," Ji told about 50 journalists from international media organizations in a rare press conference at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing.

"The nuclear deterrence of the DPRK is not a plaything to be put on the negotiating table," Ji said. His remarks were translated into English by an interpreter.

The DPRK is the acronym of North Korea's official name -- the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The U.S., five world powers and Iran reached a landmark deal earlier this month that will curb Iran's nuclear capabilities in return for lifting sanctions. North Korea has already said it is not interested in Iran-style nuclear talks.

Ji said at the conference that Iran's nuclear agreement is an achievement made by "protracted efforts to have its independent right for nuclear activity."

"But, the situation of the DPRK is quite different from that of Iran. The DPRK is a nuclear weapons state both in name and in reality," he continued. "And it has an interest as a nuclear weapons state."

Ji held the press conference on the day when Sydney Seiler, the U.S. special envoy for North Korea's nuclear program, is scheduled to arrive in Beijing. Sieler is on a three-nation trip that also included South Korea and Japan.

In Seoul on Monday, Seiler told reporters that North Korea should learn from the Iran deal, although there are no signs that Pyongyang is willing to give up its nuclear weapons program.

 China is North Korea's economic lifeline and diplomatic backer, but their political relations have remained strained over the North's defiant pursuit of nuclear weapons. Ji declined to comment on China's role in resolving the issue.

"On the question related to the bilateral relationship between the DPRK and China, I have no more information so far," Ji said.

North Korea, which conducted its third and most powerful nuclear test in 2013, has a track record of starting a crisis, coming to negotiations and reaching an agreement in exchange for economic and other concessions, then ditching the deal.

Mindful of the North's behavior, South Korea and the U.S. have called for Pyongyang to demonstrate its commitment to denuclearization through action before the six-party talks can resume. Diplomatic efforts by China, North Korea's long-time ally, have still been seen as more accommodating toward Pyongyang.

The multilateral talks among the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia have been at a standstill since late 2008.

Wearing a dark-blue suit, the North Korean ambassador read out a prepared statement before answering three short questions.

Ji's statement called for South Korea and the U.S. to halt their annual joint military drills on the Korean Peninsula in the coming weeks, while blaming Washington's "hostile policy" toward North Korea for the long-running impasse over the North's nuclear program.

"We have the power to cope with any kinds of war methods of the U.S. imperialists and have the strong power to restrain the provocative nuclear war acts of the U.S.," Ji said. (Yonhap)