North Korea military all quiet ahead of summit: US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis

US Secretary for Defense Jim Mattis attends a round table meeting of the Defense ministers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) and their partners at the Nato headquarters in Brussels, on June 8, 2018. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The North Korean military shows no signs of unusual activity or being in a heightened state of readiness ahead of a historic summit in Singapore, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Monday (June 11).

"All's quiet," Mattis told Pentagon reporters when asked his assessment of North Korean military activity.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is due to meet with President Donald Trump on Tuesday (June 12) in Singapore, capping a remarkable build-up to the summit that Trump at one point cancelled.

Mattis also repeated earlier comments that, as far as he knew, the large US troop presence in South Korea would not factor into discussions.

He noted that the matter was one only for Seoul and Washington to consider.

The US has some 28,500 troops permanently based in South Korea.

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