The United States will consider resuming military exercises with South Korea that have been suspended depending on North Korea's next move, the Pentagon chief has said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper made the comment in an interview with MSNBC Thursday after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un threatened in a New Year's message to soon showcase a "new strategic weapon."

Experts have said the strategic weapon could be an intercontinental ballistic missile intended to pressure the U.S. to make concessions in the two countries' stalled denuclearization talks.

"Well, that's something we will take a look at, certainly, depending on Kim Jong-un's next move," Esper said when asked if it is time to resume the suspended exercises with South Korea. "It is true that we did scale back exercises because we wanted to keep the door open, or open the door for diplomacy. And I think that's the right way to proceed. In no way, shape, or form did it affect our fundamental ability to fight and win against North Korea. But those are things we would look at over the coming months as events unfold on the ground."

The suspension or scaling back of certain exercises was meant to support the denuclearization negotiations because North Korea has denounced the drills as rehearsals for an invasion of the regime.