North Korea has long held a fascination for me and South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo provided an interesting glimpse into Kim Jong-un at play.

A South Korean musician who performed in Pyongyang claims North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un was drinking heavily at an official dinner.

Choi Tae-hwan, a member of singer Cho Yong-pil's band, said Kim was going from table to table pouring drinks for South Korean musicians after an historic performance in the North Korean capital earlier this week.

He told The Chosun Ilbo that Kim "frequently stressed the need for unity among the Korean people and drank quite a lot.”

He added: “He's a heavy drinker."

Kim reportedly spends millions on expensive alcohol and food – while impoverished North Koreans struggle to find enough to eat.

It was reported that the tyrant once claimed to have drunk 10 bottles of Bordeaux in one night.

The claim was made by Japanese chef Kenji Fujimoto, who claims that he was former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's personal sushi chef from 1988 to 2001.

He visited North Korea in April 2016 and told South Korean TV network KBS that Kim appeared at dinner with six beautiful women and drank expensive Bordeaux wine.

Fujimoto added Kim boasted that he put away 10 bottles of Bordeaux in one sitting a few days earlier.

The dictator is also said to be a heavy smoker and a big fan of Swiss Emmental cheese.