North Korea's ambassador to Geneva reportedly downplayed U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump's willingness to hold talks with the North's leader, Kim Jong-un, as a gesture for campaign purposes.

"It is up to the decision of my supreme leader whether he decides to meet or not, but I think his idea of talk is nonsense," Reuters quoted Amb. So Se-pyong as saying in Geneva. "It's for utilization of the presidential election, that's all. A kind of a propaganda or advertisement ... This is useless, just a gesture for the presidential election."

So is ambassador to the United Nations mission and international organizations in the Swiss city.

The real-estate tycoon said in an interview with Reuters last week that he "would speak to" the North's leader and "would have no problem speaking to him." The remark sparked criticism that such a meeting would end up bolstering the dictator.

The North had initially reacted positively to Trump's suggestion. Yang Hyong-sop, a top official who serves as vice president of the Presidium of the country's Supreme People's Assembly, told APTN in Pyongyang, "If it turns out to be the case, there won't be anything bad." (Yonhap)