Kim Jong Un joked about himself, say S Korean officials

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un joked about his image in international media while serving South Korean officials local spirits and cold noodles during their unprecedented visit to Pyongyang this week, two South Korean government sources said.

During the meeting, Kim committed to giving up his nuclear weapons and told the South Korea officials he will like to meet US President Donald Trump, delegation leader Chung Eui-yong told reporters at the White House on Thursday - a potentially dramatic breakthrough in nuclear tensions with Pyongyang.

During their meetings, Kim made light-hearted remarks about how he is viewed outside North Korea in international media and elsewhere, one Blue House official said. The officials who spoke asked to remain unnamed due to the sensitivity of the issue.

Kim, repeatedly derided as “Little Rocket Man” by Trump, was “very aware” of his image, the official said, and reacted to comments made about him in a “relaxed” manner by joking about himself from time to time.

South Korean officials said Trump and Kim now plan to meet by the end of May, in what would be the first ever meeting between a sitting US President and a North Korean leader. Tensions rose to their highest in years in 2017 following missile tests by the North, before a detente championed by South Korean President Moon Jae-In. REUTERS

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