The first phase of the fifth round of six-party talks concluded in Beijing yesterday.
Chinese delegation head Wu Dawei read a chairman's statement at the closing ceremony, saying the parties agreed to hold the second-phase meeting "at the earliest possible date."
The first session of the six-party talks, the fifth since 2003, began on Wednesday and focused on "outlining details, ways and procedures for the implementation" of the landmark joint statement, which was adopted at the fourth round of talks in September.
The talks group China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the United States, South Korea, Russia and Japan.
Chief US negotiator Christopher Hill described the talks as "achieving benchmark," saying that the delegations have all made "good approaches and positive suggestions."
But the positions of the two primary actors, North Korea and United States, remained widely apart.
"We have raised very seriously the financial sanctions which were imposed by the US on (North Korea)," Kim Gye-Gwan, DPRK's chief delegate, said.
In October, Washington imposed sanctions on some North Korean companies.
"These kinds of sanctions are in violation of the joint statement we have adopted and is going to hinder the implementation of the commitment we have made," Kim said.
Hill repeatedly told reporters during the latest session that North Korea did not stop running its nuclear facilities after the landmark joint agreement.