US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said his country will help North Korea achieve prosperity 'on par' with South Korea if Kim Jong Un commits to denuclearisation.

Mr Pompeo visited Pyongyang earlier this week ahead of the planned summit between Donald Trump and Mr Kim in Singapore on June 12th.

The visit saw the release of three Americans who had been jailed in North Korea - with the White House describing it as a 'gesture of good will' ahead of the summit.

Today, Mr Pompeo met with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha in Washington DC.

Speaking after their meeting, Mr Pompeo said: "The United States and the Republic of Korea remain committed to achieving the permanent, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

"If Chairman Kim chooses the right path, there is a future brimming with peace and prosperity for the North Korean people."

He added: "If North Korea takes bold action to quickly denuclearise, the United States is prepared to work with North Korea to achieve prosperity on the par with our South Korean friends."

He also addressed the release of prisoners, saying it was part of ongoing work to make the Singapore summit a 'true success':

.@SecPompeo with FM Kang: It was an honor as one of my 1st actions as Secretary of State to negotiate the safe return of 3 US citizens and bring them home to freedom. The release of these 3 citizens helps set the conditions for a successful meeting between @POTUS & Chairman Kim. pic.twitter.com/L3Cy5MNBg0

— Department of State (@StateDept) May 11, 2018

Ms Kang, meanwhile, stressed there must be "airtight" coordination between the US and her country ahead of next month's summit.

The leaders of North and South Korea met at the border of the two countries last month for an historic summit, during which they pledged to work towards achieving the 'complete denuclearisation' of the peninsula.