The top U.S. military official said on Wednesday that North Korea has continued to develop its nuclear and missile capabilities and may stage military provocations at some point.

Mark Milley, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the remarks in a virtual seminar hosted by Brookings Institution, a think tank in Washington. 

Milley hinted that North Korea may stage military provocations to test the incoming U.S. administration, saying that Pyongyang has a long history of doing things like that. 

The top military official, however, added that the U.S. and its allies are fully ready and capable to deal with any provocation.

He said that it's true North Korea has advanced its nuclear weapon and missile delivery capabilities, but the deterrence capabilities of South Korea, in combination with Japan and most importantly with the United States, is very significant.