Updated | Trump lands in South Korea as three US aircraft carriers prepare for drill

Kim Jong-un’s nuclear weapons program must be halted by diplomacy and not military action, said Kang Kyung-wha, South Korea’s foreign minister, ahead of Trump’s visit to the country.

“Another war on the Korean peninsula must not happen” she said, during an interview with Lester Holt, in Seoul.

"A resolution to the North Korean nuclear issue must be pursued in a peaceful, diplomatic manner."

US president Donald Trump arrived in Seoul on Tuesday and the issue of how to tackle North Korea’s leader is expected to be at the top of the agenda.

Trump and his wife were welcomed by South Korea's foreign affairs minister Kang Kyung-wha (centre) (Photo: GETTY)

In coming days, three US aircraft carriers, accompanied by guided-missile destroyers and submarines, will be conducting a mock battle in the waters in the region, according to the US Navy.

While the Navy has been coy as to the purpose of the carriers' presence in the region, Trump spelled it out in a press conference in Seoul.

"I think we're showing great strength," Trump said. "We sent three of the largest aircraft carriers in the world (to the Korean Peninsula) and a nuclear submarine is also positioned."

Trump also said "we hope to God we never have to use" the military strength the US has on the Korean Peninsula.

"With that being said, I really believe it makes sense for North Korea to come to the table and make a deal that's good for the people of North Korea," he added.

The drill, which involves the USS Nimitz, the USS Ronald Reagan and the USS Theodore Roosevelt, follows joint exercises by the US, Australian and South Korean navies, intended to simulate the interception of shipments of nuclear material meant for Pyongyang.

Trump did not confirm what US submarine was in position, but the guided-missile submarine USS Michigan, armed with 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles made a port call in Busan, South Korea just last month.

According to North Korean government officials, the US is increasingly taking action, which could “ignite another Korean war”.

"Nobody knows when and how the 'war maniac' Trump will ignite the 'wick of war,'" the officials said, referring to the presence of the carriers near the peninsula.

Getting ready to leave for South Korea and meetings with President Moon, a fine gentleman. We will figure it all out!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2017

Trump threatened to unleash “fire and fury” on North Korea and warned that he may be forced to “totally destroy” the rogue state.

My visit to Japan and friendship with PM Abe will yield many benefits, for our great Country. Massive military & energy orders happening+++!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2017

Pyongyang's foreign minister in September stated that Trump declared war on his country and that Kim's regime would consider shooting down American bombers. The White House later described the notion that the US had declared war as "absurd."

But Kang warned that "we need to be very careful about military options," adding that they "are there to give strength to diplomacy."

"This is a country that grew out of the total devastation of the Korean War, and over a matter of six, seven decades we've become a thriving democracy ... and a thriving market economy," the foreign minister said. "The idea that another war could wipe that out is just unimaginable."

A key U.S. ally, South Korea is home to more than 50 million people. Some 28,000 American troops are stationed there.

North and South Korea are technically still in a state of conflict since the Korean War ended in an armistice, rather than a peace treaty, in 1953. In the decades since the Koreas were partitioned, the North has become an impoverished, militarized pariah, while the South has embraced technology, capitalism and deep ties with the Western world.

The Pentagon has warned that the only way to locate and destroy with complete certainty all components of North Korea's nuclear weapons program is through a ground invasion.

Trump landed in South Korea, after flying in from Tokyo, after saying on Monday that Japan could shoot down Pyongyang’s missiles with US equipment.

He will be meeting President Moon Jae-in, local politicians and US troops during his five-nation tour of Asia, his first as president.

Prior to his departure for the South, Trump tweeted that “massive military and energy orders” from Japan were taking place.

Though Trump will only spend 24 hours in South Korea, BBC’s Robin Brant says that it is perhaps the most symbolic stop in his Asian tour.

The trip is designed to bolster the military alliance, which has long protected South Korea, and spread a message of strength and unity to the North Korean supreme leader.

Protests against Trump, as well as counter-rallies welcoming him have been held in Seoul as well as other locations.