Kim Jong-un offers rare praise to ‘very impressive’ South Korea, as sister briefs him on Olympic visit

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un offered some rare praise for South Korea, which he called “very impressive”, state media reported Tuesday, after his sister and other top regime officials returned from their landmark visit to the Winter Olympics.

The state-run KCNA news agency published a short report on Kim meeting the delegation on Monday following its return to Pyongyang.

“After receiving the delegation’s report, Kim Jong-un expressed satisfaction over it and said that very impressive were the features of the south side which specially prioritised the visit of the members of the DPRK side who took part in the Winter Olympics,” KCNA said, adding the North Korean leader “expressed thanks” to Seoul.

South Korea’s hosting of the Winter Olympics has sparked a sudden and rare moment of rapprochement across the demilitarised zone after months of sky-high tensions over Pyongyang’s rapidly advancing nuclear weapons programme and bellicose missile tests.

After months of rebuffing invitations from South Korea to attend the Olympics, Kim did an about-face in a New Year speech.

The North has since sent its athletes to the South Korean ski resort of Pyeongchang, along with cheerleaders and performers, and dispatched a diplomatic delegation that included Kim’s sister Kim Yo-jong.

She became the first member of the North’s ruling dynasty to set foot in the South since the end of the Korean war.