New York Daily News

Sorry, Kim, No Elton CD for you

- Denis Slattery With News Wire Services

It's going be a long, long time till touchdown brings them round again.

North Korea labeled tense talks with Secretary of State Pompeo as “regrettabl­e” on Saturday and accused Washington of making “gangsterli­ke” demands to pressure the country into abandoning its nuclear weapons.

Adding to the already heightened tensions, the nation's top diplomat did not gift an Elton John album to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed by President Trump, the State Department said.

Pompeo packed an Elton John CD including the song “Rocket Man,” according to a story last week in South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper.

Trump tagged Kim as “Rocket Man” last year last year as North Korea upped its antagonist­ic missile launches and nuclear tests. He even dropping the insult during an address to the United Nations General Assembly.

Trump asked Kim if he was familiar with the song during their summit last month in Singapore, said the Chosun Ilbo story, which was attributed to Washington and diplomatic sources.

"The 'Rocket Man' CD was the subject of discussion during Trump's lunch with Kim. Kim mentioned that Trump referred to him as 'Rocket Man' when tensions ran high last year.

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