Donald Trump has said he wants US citizens to “sit up to attention” when he speaks, just like North Koreans do for their dictator Kim Jong-un.
The US president made the claims during an interview outside the White House on Friday, although he later said he was “kidding”.
North Korea has been widely condemned for human rights violations by the United Nations and watchdog groups.
"Hey, he's the head of a country, and I mean he is the strong head. Don't let anyone think anything different,” Mr Trump said in the interview with Fox News.
He went on to say that Mr Kim's power should not be underestimated.
“He speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same,” he added.
He later chastised a reporter who asked about the remark, saying he was "kidding" and the reporter didn't "understand sarcasm."
Mr Trump also casually referred to the possibility that generals in North Korea have been tortured or killed, saying they were "fired at least... fired would be nice word".
Since their historic summit in Singapore on Tuesday, the president has downplayed North Korean human rights abuses, at one point calling Mr Kim a “tough guy” rather than a killer.
In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Trump also said that he is planning to call North Korea on Father's Day.
"I'm going to be actually calling North Korea," he said.
The president later told reporters in an impromptu news conference on the White House lawn that he had given Mr Kim a phone number to allow him to reach him directly.
"He can now call me if he has any difficulties, I can call him," Mr Trump said.
Following their meeting in Singapore on Tuesday, Mr Trump and Mr Kim issued a joint statement that reaffirmed the North's commitment to "work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula", while Mr Trump "committed to provide security guarantees."
Democratic critics in the US said the agreement was short on detail and the Republican president had made too many concessions to Mr Kim, whose country is under UN sanctions for its nuclear and weapons programmes.
Asked about defending Mr Kim's human rights record, Trump told reporters: "You know why, I don't want to see a nuclear weapon destroy you and your family... I want to have a good relationship with North Korea."
