Cheong Wa Dae denies report NK leader called himself short and fat

By Yonhap

Published : March 9, 2018 - 10:20

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae denied a newspaper report Friday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un cracked a joke calling himself short and fat when he met with South Korean special envoys earlier this week.

The Dong-a Ilbo newspaper reported that the North's leader made the joke during a dinner with the South's envoys Monday. The report also cited a presidential official saying that Kim was well-aware of the views and images of him portrayed in foreign and South Korean media.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (Yonhap)

Presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom rejected the report as untrue and expressed regret.

"Only five special envoys who attended the dinner know what was said between Chairman Kim and the envoys' delegation," the spokesman said in a message to reporters, asking the media to refrain from reports hurting the easing of tensions on the Korean Peninsula. (Yonhap)