The despot and The Worm: Remembering Dennis Rodman’s strange North Korea odyssey | NK News
NK News Logo
November 22, 2024
NK News is hiring
Features

The despot and The Worm: Remembering Dennis Rodman’s strange North Korea odyssey

Ten years on, the eccentric NBA star’s friendship with Kim Jong Un stands as one of stranger chapters in DPRK history

Before Donald Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to hold a summit with North Korea, America’s relationship with the Kim regime was practically nonexistent. The so-called Leap Day agreement of 2012 fell apart in dramatic fashion, and the Obama administration all but gave up on diplomacy with Pyongyang.

Into this extreme hostility between the two countries entered one of the most unlikely of intermediaries — former basketball player Dennis Rodman.

Become a member for less
than $5.75 per week.

  • Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis
  • The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop
  • Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns
  • Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting
Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts.
Subscribe now

All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time.