Trump reveals that Rodman knew him best when getting to know Kim Jong-un

When trying to get to know Kim Jong-un, the person who knew Kim best was Rodman.

Rodman, who visited North Korea five times, is close to Kim Jong-un... Trump: Kim Jong-un and I are doing well

(Washington = Yonhap News) Correspondent Lee Yu-mi = U.S. President Donald Trump introduced former NBA star Dennis Rodman on the 1st (local time) and mentioned his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

While speaking at the Peterbilt truck factory in Denton, Texas, President Trump saw Rodman attending the event and introduced him, saying, "The legend of basketball is here."

He then praised Rodman as the best rebounder in basketball history and as an old friend of his.

When President Trump wanted to learn about Chairman Kim, he said, "The person who knew him best was Dennis Rodman," and mentioned the fact that Rodman had visited North Korea in the past and interacted with the North Korean basketball team.

President Trump said that when he wanted to get to know Chairman Kim, it was a time when both sides were "having problems," and that "(currently) Kim Jong-un and I get along well."

Although President Trump did not specifically mention this, it is noteworthy whether he may have asked Rodman, who was close to Chairman Kim at the time, for advice about Chairman Kim or talked about it.

President Trump, who had an extremely tense relationship with North Korea at the beginning of his first term in office, met with Chairman Kim three times in 2018 and 2019 and engaged in summit diplomacy. Even in his second term in power, he has shown his will to resume dialogue with Chairman Kim.

Rodman has visited North Korea five times so far and met Chairman Kim and his family in person, thanks to Chairman Kim's "love for basketball."

President Trump also mentioned that North Korea asked Rodman to visit North Korea and join the basketball team.

He said of the North Korean basketball team, "They weren't very good at the time," and "Dennis was with them, but I don't know how much he helped the team." He then joked, “To help, Dennis would have had to play for the team himself.”