Donald Trump has confirmed he has prepared and autographed a CD of Elton John’s Honky Chateau album, featuring the song Rocket Man, to be given as a gift to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Trump derided Kim as “little rocket man” during their 2017 war of words in which Trump also threatened North Korea with “fire and fury”.

But amid an atmosphere of rapprochement both sides have taken a softer tone in recent months. During their meeting last month Trump said the two had an “excellent relationship”.

The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, took a copy of the CD with him to Pyongyang last week. Trump’s top diplomat met with North Korean officials in talks where the North described the US attitude as “regrettable”. Pompeo was not given an audience with Kim and did not have a chance to present the CD.

“They didn’t give it, I have it for him, they didn’t give it, but it will be given at a certain time,” Trump said. He also hinted there were other presents for the North Korean dictator: “I actually do have a little gift for him, but you’ll find out what that gift is when I give it.”

The South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported that Trump and Kim discussed the Elton John song during their summit in Singapore last month. Kim reportedly had never heard the song and Trump promised to send him a copy.

Despite the setback in the latest round of nuclear talks, Pompeo stressed the US was still pursuing a diplomatic solution to North Korea’s nuclear program. During a question and answer session with US troops in Afghanistan, he “underscored the US commitment to developing a peaceful solution on the Korean Peninsula”, according to the state department.