The U.S. special representative to North Korea will travel to South Korea this week to coordinate the allies' push to dismantle Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, the State Department said Tuesday.

Stephen Biegun will visit Seoul from Wednesday to Friday for talks with Lee Do Hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, and other South Korean officials, the department said.

Biegun's trip is intended to strengthen U.S.-South Korea coordination on their shared objective of "the final, fully verified denuclearization" of North Korea, it said.

Biegun and Lee will also co-chair a bilateral working group meeting to discuss efforts to achieve the goal, "including through inter-Korean cooperation projects," it said.

Seoul has sought to promote such projects, including connecting railways across the border, without violating U.N. sanctions on Pyongyang.

Later Tuesday, the State Department dismissed North Korea's calls on the United States to lift sanctions as Pyongyang claims the measures will block the path to denuclearization.

"President Trump has made it clear that sanctions relief will follow denuclearization," department deputy spokesman Robert Palladino said at a press briefing.

"And the sooner North Korea denuclearizes, the sooner sanctions can be lifted."