United States President Donald Trump on Saturday said his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had improved because “we fell in love”, Reuters reported. The president said bilateral ties had transformed from “going to war” to a “great relationship”.

“I was really being tough – and so was he. And we would go back and forth,” Trump said at a rally in West Virginia. “And then we fell in love, okay? No, really – he wrote me beautiful letters, and they are great letters.”

Trump predicted that his comment would be described as “unpresidential”. His remarks were met with laughter and applause from supporters.

The two leaders have expressed their willingness to work towards denuclearising the Korean peninsula and held an unprecedented meeting in Singapore in June. Not much progress has been made since then, however. In August, North Korea criticised the US for urging other countries to maintain sanctions against it. A month before that, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said North Korea was continuing to produce fuel for nuclear bombs despite its pledge to denuclearise.

Pompeo, who chaired a United Nations Security Council session on September 28, urged the members to set an example by enforcing sanctions on North Korea. China and Russia, however, have called for relaxation of sanctions against North Korea in view of positive developments in Pyongyang this year.

Pompeo is expected to visit North Korea in October to prepare for a second summit between Kim and Trump.