A state department ban on US passport holders visiting North Korea came into force on 1 September after the death of Otto Warmbier, an American student who was detained in Pyongyang for more than a year. On 29 November, North Korea celebrated its latest intercontinental ballistic missile test, claiming it could now strike anywhere on the US mainland. However, Rodman, who first visited North Korea in 2013 and calls Kim his friend, claimed that now was the perfect time – and he was the perfect man – to press for peace. Rodman said he had been seeking Trump’s ear on North Korea for months. Trump has not commented on Rodman’s North Korean travels but in 2013 hailed his visit that year as “smart”.

Source: The Guardian December 11, 2017 13:12 UTC