US Defence Secretary Mark Esper claims the United States still see a political agreement on denuclearisation as the best path forward on North Korea, but that American forces remain prepared to fight if necessary.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said this week that there were on intercontinental ballistic missile and nuclear bomb testing and that a "new strategic weapon" would be introduced in the near future.
Mr Esper, speaking in an interview on Fox News, said: "We would urge restraint by Kim Jong Un."
US President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea. Source: AP
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there were no indications that North Korea was preparing for an imminent long-range missile test.
The official said the assessment after Mr Kim's speech was that North Korea believes it does not have to rush to test an intercontinental ballistic missile, though shorter-range missile or engine tests could be possible at any time.
US President Donald Trump, who in 2018 became the first American leader to meet with a North Korean leader, said .
Last month, Pyongyang warned Washington of a possible "Christmas gift" after Mr Kim gave the US until the end of the year to propose new concessions in talks over his country's nuclear arsenal.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump shake hands. Source: AP
Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley said that the alert status of American forces was at a sufficient level to respond to anything that happens and military defensive capabilities were adequate to defend the US.
