A North Korean flag flutters on top of a 160-metre tower in North Korea's propaganda village of Gijungdong, in this picture taken from the Tae Sung freedom village near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), inside the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas, in Paju, South Korea, April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo

SEOUL (Reuters) - American officials plan to review sanctions slapped on North Korea and a ban on travel to the country imposed on U.S. citizens to ensure that they do not limit humanitarian aid, a U.S. special envoy said on Wednesday.

Stephen Biegun, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, made the announcement to reporters as he arrived in Seoul for four days of meetings with South Korean officials.

Aid groups have complained that strict enforcement of sanctions imposed on North Korea has been delaying and in some cases preventing the delivery of aid to the impoverished country.

“I’ll be sitting down with American aid groups early in the new year to discuss how we can better ensure the delivery of appropriate assistance,” Biegun said.