Philippines President Rodridgo Duterte. / AFP

By Jung Min-ho

Philippines President Rodridgo Duterte said Sunday he would congratulate North Korea's Kim Jong-un for the successful inter-Korean summit if he gets a chance to meet him.

"For all of the time, he was pictured to be the bad boy of the community. With one masterstroke, he is now the hero of everybody," Duterte told reporters when asked about Friday's summit between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

"He (Kim) appears to be an amiable, jolly good fellow, and very accommodating," Duterte said.

He also said he would tell Kim "I admire you. You know how to time (your moves)" if he ever had a chance to talk with him.

Duterte's opinion of Kim has changed drastically. Several months ago, Duterte called Kim a "fool" who plays with "dangerous toys."

In a joint declaration after the summit, Moon and Kim affirmed the common goals of making the Korean Peninsula "nuclear free" and seeking a formal end to the Korean War (1950-53).

Trump supported their decision immediately, saying, "KOREAN WAR TO END!" on Twitter.

"He (Kim) can treat me as his friend ... The impact is really, there is less stress now in the Korean Peninsula. And maybe, just maybe, we can avoid a war that nobody can win anyway," Duterte said.