From Dennis Rodman to Nuclear Threats, Kim Jong Un Perplexes World Public

Reactions to the dictator include incomprehension, ridicule, even fear

Much like his father Kim Jong-il, North Korea's new young leader Kim Jong-un is viewed by much of the outside world with a heady mix of incomprehension, ridicule and fear.

In early March, people were shaking their heads in bemusement at photos of Kim partying with flamboyant former NBA star Dennis Rodman in Pyongyang after watching a basketball game together.

One month later, they're wondering if he might be on the brink of tipping the Korean peninsula into a catastrophic conflict.