The paper interpreted the remark as a signal of the US president's openness to diplomacy with Pyongyang after months of heightened tensions over the regime's nuclear weapons program. The interview also took place two days after South and North Korea held their first high-level talks in more than two years.

"The Wall Street Journal stated falsely that I said to them 'I have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un' (of N. Korea)," Trump tweeted Sunday. "Obviously I didn't say that. I said 'I'd have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un," a big difference. Fortunately we now record conversations with reporters and they knew exactly what I said and meant. They just wanted a story. FAKE NEWS!"

The paper said it stands by its report and posted the relevant portion of the recording on its website. (Yonhap)