South Korea and North Korea may train together in Masikryong ski resort for the Winter Olympics 2018 (Photo:Yonhap/VNA)

North Korea urges its citizens to “promote contact, travel, cooperation and exchange between the North and South on a wide scale to remove mutual misunderstanding and distrust”, KCNA said, adding that Pyongyang will smash all challenges against unification on the Korean Peninsula.

The US on Wednesday sanctioned 9 entities, 16 individuals, and 6 vessels accused of supporting North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction. The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 2 companies based in China for their involvement in exporting goods worth millions of USD for North Korean weapons manufacturers.