Donald Trump has claimed that North Koreans held in the regime’s gulags were among today’s “winners” as he heaped praise on Kim Jong-un.

In language that struck many as appearing close to gushing, the US president said the North Korean leader “is very talented”. As apparent evidence of this, he pointed to Mr Kim’s rise to power while he was still in his 20s.

Asked if was betraying the tens of thousands of prisoners held in the country’s forced labour camps, he said: “Not much I can do right now. I think at a certain point he’s going to do something about it.”

'The world will see a major change' Kim Jong-un and Trump sign document

He added: I think they, I think they are one of the great winners today – that large group of people that you’re talking about. I think ultimately they are going to be one of the great winners as a group.”

Earlier, the US leader had said he wanted to “thank Chairman Kim for taking the first bold step towards a bright new future for his people”.

On a day when human rights campaigners used the occasion of the summit to highlight North Korea’s notoriously poor record on the treatment of its citizens, the US president was asked to explain why he believed the 34-year-old leader was “very talented”.

He responded: “Well, he is very talented. Anybody that takes over a situation like he did at 26 years of age and is able to run it, and run it tough – I don’t say it was nice, or I don’t say anything about it – very few people at that age, you can take one out of 10,000, probably.”

Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Show all 20 1 /20 Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump and Mr Kim leave following their historic meeting AFP/Getty Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump and Mr Kim sign a document committing to peace between their nations, amongst other things EPA Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump holds up a document that both he and Mr Kim have signed AFP/Getty Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un The two leaders reach out to shake hands for the first time AP Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump and Mr Kim shake hands as they meet for the first time Reuters Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump and Mr Kim walk off stage, following their historic meeting Reuters Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump and Mr Kim take a stroll after their meeting on June 12 Reuters Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump and Mr Kim interrupt their stroll to talk to the media AP Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Kim and Mr Trump look out over a balcony at the Capella hotel, where they held their meeting on June 12 Reuters Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump takes questions at the press conference following his meeting with with Mr Kim AP Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump appreciates the crowd in the press conference following his meeting with Mr Kim Getty Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump travels to the Istana ahead of the summit with Kim Jong Un on June 12 Reuters Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Kim Jong Un travels to the Istana ahead of the summit with President Trump on June 12 Reuters Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Kim poses for a photo with Singapore's Finance Minister Vivian Balkrishnan and Education Minister Ong Ye Kung ahead of the summit with Mr Trump Twitter/Reuters Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump shakes hands with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, meeting on Monday June 11 in the Istana, Singapore's presidential palace AP Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un At a working lunch on Monday, Singapore's Prime Minister surprised Mr Trump with a birthday cake, in early celebration of his 72nd birthday later in the week EPA Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo answers questions about the summit at a press briefing in Singapore on Monday, June 11 Getty Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un US President Donald Trump arrives at the Paya Lebar Air Base in Singapore on June 10, two days prior to his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Reuters Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump and Mr Kim met on Tuesday June 12 in the Capella hotel on the island resort of Sentosa, just off the south coast of Singapore AFP/Getty Singapore Summit: historic first meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un Mr Trump boards Air Force One following the summit AFP/Getty

While the US leader appeared to be at best casual about the implications of celebrating an authoritarian leader suspected of ordering the public assassination of his half brother with a nerve agent, executing his uncle by firing squad and allowing US college student Otto Warmbier to fall into an irreversible coma, Mr Trump said without Mr Warmbier’s death, his meeting with Mr Kim may not have happened.

He said: “Otto did not die in vain.”

Mr Trump said the issue of human rights did come up during the talks, albeit briefly. “It was discussed relatively briefly compared to the denuclearisation, but they will be doing things. I think he wants to do things.”

He said he believed that while they had touched on human rights, the issue would be raised again as the two countries continued their dialogue.

“I think he wants to get it done. I feel that very strongly,” he added.

Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia division, said there was not a trace of human rights mentioned in the document signed by the two leaders. “If there is nothing in writing, it does not exist,” he said. “Trump can say they discussed it, but we don’t know.”

He said there was a network of different prison camps in North Korea, including short-term and long-term labour camps. He said there was also a separate category for political prisoners – considered traitors – who were sent to the mountains. He said there believed to be between 100,000-120,000 such political prisoners.