Officials in Donald Trump's administration have appeared to contradict Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's claim that the US could open talks with North Korea without preconditions.

Mr Tillerson broached the possibility of dialogue with the secretive communist state out of a desire to “just meet”.

He added that such talks would need to occur amid a “period of quiet” from North Korea, his suggestion still extended a diplomatic opening to a nation that has shown few signs of restraint.

However, other Trump administration officials said no negotiations could begin until North Korea renounced its belligerent posture.

The pariah state has conducted multiple ballistic missile tests in recent months, boasting after its last one that it could strike the mainland United States, and threatened American allies with annihilation.

“Clearly right now is not the time,” an unnamed National Security Council official told Reuters.

Responding to a question about whether Mr Tillerson’s position differed from the White House’s policy, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said “the Secretary was not creating any new policy” and that he was “on the same page as the White House.

“Our policy remains exactly the same as it was,” Ms Nauert said, calling diplomacy the administration’s “top priority” and saying “we remain open to dialogue when North Korea is willing to conduct a credible dialogue on the peaceful de-nuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. We are not seeing any evidence that they are ready to sit down and have those kinds of conversations”.

North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Show all 13 1 /13 North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Pyongyang residents react after the news of the successful launch of the new intercontinental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Images North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un signing an order to test-fire the newly developed inter-continental ballistic missile KRT via AP Video North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch A news broadcast displays Kim Jong Un's signed document AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch People cheer as they watch the news broadcast announcing Kim Jong Un's order to test-fire the new inter-continental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Images North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Residents react after the document signing AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Pyongyang residents celebrate Kim Jong Un's announcement AFP/Getty North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Cheering Pyongyang residents react AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch To counter North Korea's missile test, South Korea fired missiles into the East Sea The Defence Ministry/Yonhap via REUTERS North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch The Hyunmu-2 missiles firing during the drill South Korean Defense Ministry vi North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch The exercise was carried out in an attempt to counter Kim Jong Un's order South Korea Defense Ministry via AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch The South Korean army continue to carry out military exercises AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Where K-9 self-propelled howitzers were taking part in a drill Rex Features North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch US soldiers are also present in the border city of Paju AFP/Getty Images

“When somebody is shooting off ballistic missiles, when someone is conducting advanced nuclear tests, they’re not showing any kind of interest or seriousness about wanting to sit down too talk,” she added.

Mr Tillerson has diverged from other administration officials in the past. He was said to support keeping America in the Paris climate pact, cutting against Donald Trump’s decision to pull the country from the agreement.

US air force carries out drill over Korean Peninsula triggering Pyongyang nuclear war warning

There have been rumours in recent weeks that the White House has batted down rumours that Mr Trump was seeking to replace Mr Tillerson.

While the President has urged a peaceful solution to escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula, he has also provoked the country’s leadership by nicknaming leader Kim Jong-un “Little Rocket Man”.