American and South Korean officials signalled that they would halt joint military exercises following Donald Trump’s meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore.

“Following close cooperation, South Korea and the US decided to suspend all planning activities for the UFG,” Seoul's defence ministry reportedly said in a text message to reporters that referred to the “Ulchi Freedom Guardian” operation scheduled for August.

An unnamed US military official confirmed the plan to Reuters, and White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said America was on track to not participate.

“As long as the North Koreans continue to act in good faith as we saw in Singapore then we expect those things to be on pause”, Ms Sanders said.

Viewed by the US and its allies as a bulwark of Asian security, the drills are reviled by Pyongyang as preludes to an invasion.

After meeting with Mr Kim to discuss scrapping North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, Mr Trump announced he would cancel the military exercises and noted the move would “save us a tremendous amount of money”.

“We will be stopping the war games”, Mr Trump said.

US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach Show all 10 1 /10 US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach US Marine soldiers patrol during the US-South Korea joint Exercise Operation Pacific Reach in Pohang, South Korea. North Korea is vowing tough counteraction to any military moves that might follow the US move to send the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and its battle group to waters off the Korean Peninsula AP US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach South Korean soldiers take part in the Operation Pacific Reach joint logistic exercise in Pohang, South Korea Reuters US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach North Korea is vowing tough counteraction to any military moves that might follow the US move to send the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and its battle group to waters off the Korean Peninsula AP US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach South Korean marine soldiers stand guard during the US-South Korea joint Exercise Operation Pacific Reach in Pohang, South Korea AP US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach A US Marine takes part in Operation Pacific Reach joint logistic exercise in Pohang, South Korea Reuters US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach A US Marine takes a position during a Combined Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (CJLOTS) exercise as part of a joint defence exercise at a beach in Pohang Getty Images US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach South Korea and the United States kicked off a combined distribution exercise focused on integrating the two sides alliance logistics capabilities, in Pohang, 260 kms southeast of Seoul Getty Images US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach South Korea and the United States kicked off a combined distribution exercise focused on integrating the two sides alliance logistics capabilities Getty Images US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach A US Marine walks past a military vehicle during a Combined Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (CJLOTS) exercise as part of a joint defence exercise in Pohang Getty Images US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach US Marines gather at a beach during a Combined Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (CJLOTS) exercise as part of a joint defence exercise in Pohang, 260 kms southeast of Seoul, South Korea Getty Images

Both leaders signed onto a statement pledging to “work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula” - a goal that the Trump administration has defined as the total and verifiable destruction of Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.

In the months before Mr Kim proposed the summit, the United Nations sought to isolate North Korea and stifle its economy by imposing successive rounds of economic sanctions. Mr Trump has suggested that North Korea could see those penalties lifted and begin resuscitating its economy if the regime follows through on abandoning its nuclear arms.

Donald Trump salutes North Korean soldier at Singapore summit

But the administration swiftly shot down Pyongyang’s suggestion that Mr Trump had already agreed to lift sanctions, saying that would not occur until North Korea delivers on its end of the bargain.