S commander in South Korea, General James Thurman. PHOTO: AFP
Thurman had been due to testify before three congressional committees, where he was expected to discuss the US response to threats from Pyongyang.
The North's provocations prompted a thinly veiled rebuke from China over the weekend.
"Given the current situation, General Thurman will remain in Seoul next week as a prudent measure," said Colonel Amy Hannah, a spokeswoman for US forces in South Korea, in an email message.
The move is the latest demonstration of US caution and concern after more than a month of North Korean rhetoric that has included threats to launch a nuclear attack on the United States and to wage war with Seoul.
The United States has already revamped its missile defence plans for Alaska and is deploying a missile defence system to Guam, a US territory in the Pacific.
On Saturday, a US defence official said Washington had also decided to delay a long-planned missile test scheduled for next week out of California "to avoid any misperception or miscalculation," given tensions with Pyongyang.
Thurman had been due to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee, the House Armed Services Committee and a panel of the House Appropriations Committee.
Thurman asked the committees to excuse his absence until he can testify at a later date, Hannah said.
"He looks forward to appearing before the committee at the earliest possible date," she said.
Despite its bellicose rhetoric, Pyongyang has not taken any military action and has shown no sign of preparing its 1.2 million-strong army for war, indicating the threats are partly intended for domestic consumption to bolster young leader Kim Jong-un.
South Korean media said on Friday the North had moved two medium-range missiles to its east coast but there has been no confirmation of such a move. Washington has said it would not be surprised if the North conducted another missile test.
North Korean authorities have told diplomatic missions in Pyongyang they could not guarantee their safety from Wednesday, after saying conflict was inevitable amid joint US-South Korean military exercises due to last until the end of the month.
Staff at embassies appeared to be remaining in place over the weekend.
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@Sexton Blake
Dear Blake
I got it why you are against this Greatest Nation on earth. You must have been refused by the American embassy in whatever country you are right now and yes you have no significance in Muslim world at all with all your rhetorics against USA.
@cautious: Dear cautious, You should know that your pro-American bias is out of control when you defend a brutal country which routinely bombs other countries into the stone-age. If you look at recent history you will realise that America attacked Korea some seventy odd years ago, because it had become a communist country After fighting to exhaustion, on both sides, the US and Korea stopped at the 38th parallel. Since then the US invented South Korea, imposed illegal sanctions, and has been there defending the place ever since. As an adjunct to this the US tried it on with Vietnam, but this time was well and truly beaten. America was very quite for a long time after Vietnam, but I am afraid she is now back to her old tricks of genocide and brutality. You should also realise that Henry Kissinger is quoted as having said: "The illegal we do immediately, the unconstitutional takes a little longer" Further, which is the only untrustworthy country which has bombed two cities with nuclear weapons when Japan had already surrendered 8 days before, and is now still occupying Japan?
@Sexton Blake. You know your anti American bias is out of control when you lower yourself to to defending North Korea.
@Zain:
You being a muslim has no significance. All those who claim to be muslims simply commit to live the life in accordance with the tenets of Islam. Basta! It does not automaticaly mean that you have acquired that status nor have you the right to rebuke in your fanciness, any muslim cleric. USA has not been elected as the world policeman., they were at war with Korea, and the winner as not yet been declared. There is truce and the truce is being violated by the American military exercises with south koreans.. It is in no ones interest that North Korea explodes,
Rex Minor
@cautious: Dear cautious, I could write a 10,000 word dissertation debunking what you have written in regard to Iran, North Korea or Pakistan. However, if anybody believes what the BBC publishes, and thinks that the UN is an honourable institution they would invest their money in a Ponzi Scheme. Additionally, the US/Zionist Combo have been running a huge propaganda campaign against Iran for the last few years, but Iran has not invaded, bombed or killed anybody in another country for the last several hundred years. Sadly, the countries you support have not maintained this high standard. Also, the average American would not be able to pick Iran, North Korea or Pakistan on a world atlas unless it was printed and highlighted on the back page with sporting results.
@Sexton Blake
You are typical Muslim cleric of the USA and really don't understand the reason behind that. It's crystal clear that North Korea is creating all sorts of problem in that particular region and it's USA job to stop them from taking such actions against the peaceful nations of South Korea and Japan but I know nothing change for you guys. And for you kind information I'm a Muslim and I thank USA for their efforts to the world peace.
@Sexton Blake.
United Nations security council imposes sanctions (fyi that council includes China and Russia) and N Korea responds by cancelling armistice and threatening nuclear attacks on S Korea, Japan and the USA. Your solution is for the USA to abandon it's allies and go home? What's that accomplish? . Sanctions remain in place - N Korea still run by a nutter with nukes who wants to forcefully reunify Korea and threaten's Japan on a regular basis - S Korea and Japan now forced to dramatically increase their conventional military forces and add nukes to their arsenal. Doesn't sound like much of a solution to me. Nobody outside of Pakistan (and maybe Iran) would think that's a good idea - especially China. . The reality is that N Korea is a bona-fide bad guy run by family that couldn't care less whether it's people starve - used to be the most despised country on the planet but was recently deposed by Iran and Pakistan who are now tied for last place. http://tribune.com.pk/story/380329/iran-pakistan-israel-most-negatively-rated-countries-globally-bbc-poll/
The Korean answer is simple. The US just has to stop its bully boy tactics, desist from interfering in Korean affairs and go home. Unfortunately, it will not happen. America cannot help itself, and seems to go out of its way to meddle with other countries and generally be a pariah state.