Kim Jong-un will reportedly be handed an Elton John CD by Mike Pompeo containing the song ‘Rocket Man’ during crucial denuclearisation talks in Pyongyang.

The US secretary of state is expected to present the disc to the North Korean leader as a light-hearted reference to a time last year when tensions between the two countries came close to boiling over.

Donald Trump branded Mr Kim “rocket man” following a series of North Korean nuclear tests, which prompted the president to famously threaten the secretive communist state with “fire and fury like the world has never seen”.

Relations have improved drastically in the time since, and Mr Pompeo travelled to Pyongyang on Thursday to attempt to nail down details about the North’s denuclearisation plan which were agreed during a historic summit between the two leaders in June.

Mr Trump is thought to have asked Mr Pompeo to deliver the CD gift after the North Korean leader admitted at their meeting he had never heard the 1972 hit single.

“The Rocket Man CD was the subject of discussion during Trump’s lunch with Kim,” an unnamed diplomatic source in Washington told South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo.

“Kim mentioned that Trump referred to him as ‘rocket man’ when tensions ran high last year. Trump then asked Kim if he knew the song and Kim said no.”

Mr Pompeo arrived in Pyongyang on Friday tasked with agreeing an action plan that can dispel growing scepticism over whether North Korea seriously intends to destroy its nuclear arsenal.

“Our leaders made commitments at the Singapore summit on the complete denuclearisation of North Korea and outlined what a transformed US-DPRK relationship could look like,” he said, according to comments relayed to reporters on his plane by spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

“On this trip I’m seeking to fill in some details on these commitments and continue the momentum towards implementation of what the two leaders promised each other and the world.

“I expect that the DPRK is ready to do the same.”

He arrived in Pyongyang hours after the country’s state-run media fired a warning shot at Washington over criticism of its human rights record.

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

A statement published on the government-run Uriminzokkiri website said the US should stop provoking the North with an “anachronistic human rights racket” at a time of diplomatic attempts to improve ties.

North Korea has been accused by outsiders of extensive crimes against humanity, with the government using extreme surveillance, coercion and punishment to prevent dissent.

As many as 120,000 people are believed to be held at the country’s massive prison camps, where inmates are held for political crimes such as criticising the government or attempting to escape to South Korea.

Human rights groups say inmates are subject to horrific conditions, including forced labour, torture and rape, with many eventually being executed.