Trump-Kim summit: Commemorative coin sparks ridicule - BBC News
The coin hails "peace talks" between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un but critics say it may not even happen.
The coin featuring the leaders' faces received a bashing on social media

A commemorative coin issued by the White House ahead of the planned summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been widely criticised.

The coin describes the summit as "peace talks" and depicts a square-jawed Mr Trump sternly facing his North Korean counterpart.

Many on social media pointed out that the meeting may not even take place.

The White House said issuing such a coin was "common practice".

Regional expert Prof Robert E Kelly, of Busan University in South Korea, took to Twitter to describe the coin as "gross".

"Whose personality cult exactly is this summit legitimising? This is un-American," he said.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Robert E Kelly This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Mr Trump met South Korea's president Moon Jae-in on Tuesday, amid uncertainty over the summit planned for 12 June.

North Korea has threatened to cancel the meeting if the US insists on it giving up nuclear weapons unilaterally.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Ed Krassenstein This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

The coin refers to Mr Kim, as "supreme leader" although he is more commonly referred to on state media as "chairman of the state affairs commission".

Critics accused the White House of "honouring" the dictator.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Don Moynihan This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Others said that the depiction of Kim Jong-un on the coin was deliberately unflattering - appearing to give him some extra chins.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 4 by Levi Gibian This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

The White House issued a statement on Tuesday saying it "did not have any input into the design and manufacture of the coin."

Raj Shah, White House deputy press secretary, said in a statement it was common practice for souvenir coins to be ordered after the public announcement of a trip.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 5 by Peter Alexander This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.