Washington (CNN) The US and South Korea decided Friday to suspend another major joint military exercise to give the diplomatic process with North Korea "every opportunity to continue."

"Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis and Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo decided to suspend Exercise Vigilant Ace to give the diplomatic process every opportunity to continue," chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana White said in a statement.

The decision was made during Mattis' meeting with his counterpart in Singapore.

The exercise was due to take place in December. Last year's iteration of the Vigilant Ace involved 12,000 US troops and some 230 military aircraft from the US and South Korea.

President Donald Trump has long criticized US military exercises with South Korea, calling them expensive and provocative and suspending several major exercises following his June summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore.

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