Jang Song-Thaek, the slain uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is alive, or so says the basketball star Dennis Rodman.
Rodman, 52, claims he saw Song-Thaek during his recent trip to North Korea. "You could say anything here about North Korea, and people would believe it," Rodman told the DuJour magazine.
He claimed that not only Song-Thaek was alive, even Kim's former girlfriend Hyong Song-wol was alive and well. "The last time I went there, when they said they killed his girlfriend, they killed his uncle, they just fed him to the dogs ... they (the girlfriend and uncle) were standing right behind me."
According to multiple reports, Song-Thaek, a powerful leader in the North Korean hierarchy, was executed last December for being counter-revolutionary. South Korean media claimed that he was fed alive to starving dogs. There were reports that claimed Jjong-un also killed his extended family.
Rodman, a former Chicago Bulls player, visited North Korea in 2013 for basketball exhibitions. It is said Kim is a fan of the team Rodman played for. The two are now friends.
Defending Kim's actions Rodman argues that North Korea houses nuclear weapons for protection as it is a small country. He also said Kim wants to hold discussions with the U.S. President Barack Obama.
"He really, really wants to talk to Obama. He can't say it enough," Rodman said. "He's saying that he doesn't want to bomb anybody. He said: 'I don't want to kill Americans'. He loves Americans."
Rodman also said his intentions to visit the military-backed country were misread and that the U.S. government even threatened to take his passport to stop him going to North Korea.
