The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has revealed he held a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his trip to Pyongyang.

The trip was intended to advance stalled talks around the dismantling of North Korea‘s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programme.

It is also to help set up a second summit between President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader.

Shortly after arriving in North Korea following the visit, Mr Pompeo posted a photo on Twitter of himself walking along with Mr Kim, saying: “Had a good trip to #Pyongyang to meet with Chairman Kim. We continue to make progress on agreements made at Singapore Summit. Thanks for hosting me and my team @StateDept.”

The secretary of state began a three-day tour of east Asia on Saturday when he met Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister, in Tokyo.

North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Show all 18 1 /18 North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Participants wave flowers AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (R) waves with China's Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Li Zhanshu (L) from a balcony AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Airplanes forming the number 70 fly in formation and fire flares AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean performers dance EPA North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean military officers applaud near portraits of late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean tanks roll past AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Participants cheer as they take part in a parade for the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018. North Korea staged a major military parade, huge rallies and will revive its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Ng Han Guan AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers take part AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers march AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Participants march during a mass rally on Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary A girl reacts during a parade AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, reacts as he chats with China's third highest ranking official, Li Zhanshu AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary People carry flags in front of statues of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung (L) and late leader Kim Jong Il Reuters North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Performers take part in a concert at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean artillery roll past AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Students perform Reuters North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Soldiers march during a military parade Reuters North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Participants wave flowers AFP/Getty

This is Mr Pompeo’s fourth trip to North Korea – and his second meeting with Kim Jong-un – and it would have happened sooner but was cancelled on the president’s orders over a lack of progress in denuclearisation talks.

However the president has talked up his administration’s success in bringing North Korea into the diplomatic fold. Mr Trump told the UN last month: “We have already seen a number of encouraging measures that few could have imagined a short time ago.”

Just 12 months ago the president was calling the rogue state leader “little rocket man” and suggesting the US would have no choice but to “completely destroy North Korea”.