The U.S. State Department called on Pyongyang to refrain from further "provocative and destabilizing" acts and return to diplomacy following North Korea's artillery drills along the maritime border with South Korea on Friday.

Responding by email to a question from South Korea's Yonhap News on Friday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said North Korea should participate in substantive discussions to find ways to manage military risks and build sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula.

He also repeated that the United States has no hostile intentions toward North Korea.

Miller said Washington would work closely with South Korea, Japan and other partners on engaging with Pyongyang and coordinating an international response to the regime's "ongoing and repeated violations of UN Security Council resolutions."

A U.S. Defense Department official also said the U.S. has made clear its position regarding the threat posed by North Korea's military programs and its commitment to defending South Korea and Japan and preserving regional peace and security, and that it would continue to cooperate with Seoul and Tokyo to respond to North Korea's threats.