North Korea has given a positive response to U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper's comments on Wednesday that he is open to altering military activity in South Korea to support diplomatic efforts to denuclearize North Korea. 

In a statement carried by North Korean state media, Kim Yong-chol, who currently heads a regime entity called the Korea Asia-Pacific Committee, said on Thursday that he would like to believe that Esper's remarks reflect U.S. President Donald Trump's position.

He added that he hopes the remarks are assessed as part of Washington's "positive efforts" to revive momentum for dialogue between North Korea and the U.S.

Esper said the previous day that the U.S. will adjust its exercise posture, either "more or less," depending on what diplomacy may require. 

Kim, a former North Korean nuclear negotiator, said that he would like to think Esper meant that the U.S. may completely halt joint drills with South Korea. 

The statement came less than two hours after North Korea's top nuclear envoy, Kim Myong-gil, claimed that the U.S. offered to resume nuclear talks in December.