“Not really, not at this moment. Certainly not,” Trump said when asked whether troop reductions were on the table. 

“I think a lot of great things will happen. But troops are not on the table.” 

The US president then added: “Now I have to tell you, at some point into the future, I would like to save the money. You know, we have 32,000 troops there.” 

National security adviser John Bolton called the report in The New York Times about possible reductions “utter nonsense” in a statement on Friday.

Plans for a meeting between Trump and Kim follow months of tense sabre-rattling over Pyongyang’s testing of atomic weapons and long-range missiles, including some that are theoretically capable of reaching the US mainland. 

But a spectacular detente in recent months has fed hopes of a historic turning point on the Korean peninsula. 

Seoul and Pyongyang have remained technically at war since the 1950s but South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim agreed at a landmark meeting of their own last week to work towards a permanent treaty to replace the  65-year-old armistice. 

Preparations for a Trump-Kim meeting have gathered further momentum since the Korean leaders met.

Trump, who had also hinted at imminent news about three Korean-Americans detained in North Korea, once more sounded an upbeat note regarding their fate.

“We’re having very substantive talks with North Korea and a lot of things have already happened with respect to the [US] hostages. I think you’re going to see very good things,” added Trump, while answering media questions before boarding the Marine One helicopter.

The United States has been demanding their release. Reports have suggested that the two nations were close to reaching a deal on their release.