Another nuclear test by Pyongyang would certainly "fall under the rubric of provocative actions," U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said on Thursday.

"We've said that all along that they need to, you know, adhere to their commitments and they also need to refrain from provocative actions," Toner told reporters at the State Department. "Another nuclear test would certainly fall under the rubric of provocative actions."

Toner was commenting on reports by South Korean media that South Korea has detected consistent movements at the site where the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) conducted a nuclear test. But the reports said there were no signs hinting at an immediate test.

Toner said that "I'm aware of the reports and I have to say that they, you know, obviously touch on intelligence matters, so I can't really go into any detail or comment on them, but it really hasn't changed our position vis-a-vis North Korea."

"We've been clear on what we want to see from North Korea. And again, I just said, this would fall under the rubric of refraining from any provocative actions on the peninsula."

Both China and DPRK have expressed readiness to resume the stalled six-party talks, a multilateral dialogue mechanism brokered by the Chinese government in an effort to seek a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, which also involves South Korea, Russia, Japan and the United States.