The U.S. will soon need to decide what kind of "Christmas gift" it will receive from North Korea, an official from the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said Tuesday, in a statement reminding Washington of Pyongyang's fast-approaching end-of-year deadline for diplomacy to produce results.

The remarks, delivered by vice foreign minister Ri Thae Song and carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), bemoaned a lack of progress in talks with the U.S., complaining that Washington is yet to provide compensation for what the DPRK has claimed have been good-faith measures to improve ties.