North Korea has claimed that international sanctions are preventing it from paying its due contributions to the UN, urging the United States to lift the restrictions, a recent UN report showed.

During a meeting of the Committee on Relations with the Host Country in February, the North Korean representative said his country is willing to pay its contributions "in full and on time," but can't do so as the banking channel was closed due to the international sanctions. 

In 2017, the UN Security Council froze the North's assets at its Foreign Trade Bank -- a state-owned bank that served as its primary foreign exchange bank -- for its test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile. The US also put the bank under sanctions in 2013.

"He thus requested once again that the host country take positive steps in line with the Singapore joint statement for the Korean Foreign Trade Bank to remit its contribution to the United Nations," said the committee's report submitted for the 74th session of the UN General Assembly.

The US rebutted North Korea's claim, saying that Pyongyang has an account at the UN Federal Credit Union that should allow the North's mission to pay for its expenses in the US, according to the report. (Yonhap)