U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said on Friday that a recently scrapped summit between the leaders of the United States and North Korea may still take place if diplomats can pull it off, NY Times reported.

"We have got some, possibly some good news on the Korea summit, where it may, if our diplomats can pull it off, may have it back on," Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon before a meeting with the Danish defense minister.

Trump scrapped the meeting on Thursday after repeated threats by North Korea to pull out of the summit in Singapore over what it saw as confrontational remarks by U.S. officials.

Mattis said the recent back-and-forth between Trump and North Korea was a part of the "usual give and take" that goes into putting a large summit together.

"The diplomats are still at work on the summit, possibility of a summit, so that is very good news," Mattis said.