The Russian embassy to North Korea denied reports that Russia has re-exported North Korean coal despite U.N. sanctions, Interfax news agency reported on Friday.

"This information is false," Interfax quoted an embassy official as saying.

"Russia does not buy coal from North Korea and is not a transit point for coal deliveries to third countries," he said, according to the agency.

Reuters reported earlier that North Korea had shipped coal to Russia last year which was then delivered to South Korea and Japan in a likely violation of U.N. sanctions.