Experts say North Korea could increase its weapons testing after the arrival of a US aircraft carrier last week.
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The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has warned that her country could respond to the arrival of a US aircraft carrier in South Korea on Sunday.
Kim Yo-jong said the deployment of the USS Carl Vinson showed Washington was displaying a "most hostile and confrontational will" towards North Korea.
The leader's sibling also accused the US and its allies of “confrontation hysteria".
The US' military presence in the region is a "vicious habit" that "adversely affects the security of the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)", the ruler's sister said.
Analysts said her statement signals that North Korea is likely to intensify its weapons testing and uphold its hostile stance towards the US.
South Korea’s Defence Ministry later responded by affirming that it is prepared to counter any provocations from North Korea, citing the strength of its military alliance with the US.
The USS Carl Vinson and its strike group reached South Korean waters on Sunday, four days after North Korea’s conducted its fourth cruise missile test of the year.
Trump has said he is keen to revive talks with Kim Jong-un. After a series of summits in 2018 and 2019, diplomatic efforts collapsed over a dispute about sanctions.
North Korea has yet to directly address Trump’s latest overtures. However, it has claimed that US-led hostilities against the regime have escalated since the start of the US president's second term in January.
Experts suggest that Kim Jong-un is unlikely to engage with Trump in the near future, as he is currently prioritising his country’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.