Donald Trump has said he believes reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is gravely ill were made up by CNN, as he launched an angry attack on one of the network's reporters at a White House briefing on the coronavirus pandemic.

Asked if he heard any more about the condition of the dictator, whom he has previously said he "loves", the president said: "I think the report was incorrect, let me just put it that way."

Gesturing towards CNN reporter Kaitlin Collins, he continued: "I think the report was done by a network that was incorrect. I'm hearing they used old documents. But that's what I hear. I hear that the report was an incorrect report. Well I hope it was an incorrect report."

Collins, acknowledging that Mr Trump had pointed towards her, asked if he had made any contact with the North Koreans.

The president replied: "I don't want to say. I won't say that. We have a good relationship with North Korea – as good as you can have. I mean, we have a good relationship with North Korea. I have a good relationship with Kim Jong-un and I hope he's OK.

Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un rides a horse during snowfall in Mount Paektu in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on 16 October 2019 Reuters Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un visits the newly built Pyongyang Orphans' Primary School on 2 February 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects a women's company under Unit 5492 of the Korean People's Army in November 2019 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects the test-fire of intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 at an undisclosed location in July 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un celebrates the successful test-fire of the intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 at an undisclosed location in July 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects a potato at the Samjiyon Potato Factory in North Korea in October 2018 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un rides a horse through a forest in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on 16 October 2019 EPA Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects a block of frozen fish at a processing facility in North Korea in November 2018 Reuters Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un celebrates the succeful launch of a strategic submarine-launched ballistic missile in August 2016 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un shakes hands with Donald Trump as they meet for the first time at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa island in Singapore in June 2018 Reuters Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump share a glance as they meet in the Demilitarised Zone in Panmunjon, Korea in June 2019 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects mushrooms at Pyongyang Mushroom Farm AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects a super-large multiple rocket launcher ahead of a test in September 2019 Reuters Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects an apple farm in South Hwanghae Province in September 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects an apple farm in South Hwanghae Province in September 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects dental wares at a newly built factory in June 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un visits Farm No 1116 in September 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un visits a motor factory in November 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un rides a horse during snowfall in Mount Paektu in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on 16 October 2019 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects the Command of the Strategic Force of the Korean People's Army at an undisclosed location in August 2017 AFP/Getty

"And somebody would say 'Oh, that's terrible'. No, it's not terrible, I hope he's OK.

"And I think it was a fake report, done by CNN."

As Collins tried to ask a follow-up, Mr Trump waved her away and said: "No that's enough. The problem is you don't write the truth so, as far as I'm concerned I want to go to the next person."

As the reporter continued to try to ask him a question, the president snapped: "No, not CNN please. I told you: CNN is fake news, don't talk to me."

Rumours about Mr Kim's health emerged after he failed to appear at one of the most important public events in the North Korean calendar, the anniversary of the birth of Kim Il-sung, his grandfather and the founder of the secretive communist dictatorship.

A South Korean news website, Daily NK, claimed the 36-year-old had undergone heart surgery. It originally cited multiple sources but later issued a correction saying that its story was based on information from one person inside North Korea.