Military drills by the United States and South Korea will resume if Pyongyang stops good-faith talks. That's the word from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo now in Seoul to brief officials about the Trump-Kim summit. Pompeo is pushing back against criticism after President Donald Trump announced the US would freeze military drills or war games as he put it with South Korea. CGTN's White House correspondent Jessica Stone reports.

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo - now personally briefing Korean, Japanese and Chinese leaders - on what Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump agreed to in Singapore.

The joint statement released afterwards stated a commitment to complete denuclearization - without the word verifiable.

Pompeo telling reporters, "Let me assure you that the 'complete' encompasses verifiable in the minds of everyone concerned. One can't completely denuclearize without validating, authenticating - you pick the word."

In Seoul, Wednesday, Washington's top diplomat said upcoming joint military exercises with the Republic of Korea will stay on pause - as long as diplomacy with Pyongyang continues.

Trump tweeting before he landed in Washington, "There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea."

AND - "We save a fortune by not doing war games, as long as we are negotiating in good faith - which both sides are!"

The DPRK signed the agreement in exchange for a freeze in ROK-US military drills. It's a proposal Beijing has long advocated - known as dual suspension.

GENG SHUANG, SPOKESPERSON CHINESE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS "China always believes that sanctions are not the goals. All parties should support and cooperate with the efforts of diplomatic dialogues and denuclearization."

Pompeo and president Trump have publicly thanked Beijing for implementing international sanctions. Pompeo is expected to ask China to keep up the pressure. And - if Kim gets rid of his nuclear program - assist his country with rebuilding.

JESSICA STONE WHITE HOUSE "Secretary of state Mike Pompeo says Washington's goal is to achieve quote: major disarmament of Pyongyang by the end of president Trump's first term. That's just two and a half years away. A key nuclear weapons scientist estimates it could take as long as 15 years. JST, CGTN, Washington."