One would think that Italy and North Korea have little to nothing in common. One would also think relations would be frosty at best. One would, surprisingly enough, be mistaken.

From art and cuisine, to language, and football, Pyongyang’s connections to Rome are quintessentially Italian: personal, warm, and just a little bit fiery.

This is the first of a two-part series painting the colorful picture of the Italy-North Korea relationship. Part two will follow relations through two dramatic decades from their inception to present day.

Part one, though, looks at the events between 1950-2000, from the Korean War to the