Once the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990s, the bipolar world order disintegrated with it, leaving the United States as the sole superpower worldwide. Yet communism was not Americans' only concern. By the early 1980s, this capitalist power was already beginning to feel that the threat of international terrorism was being overcome, which led to the emergence of a new group of enemies, namely rogue states. These countries are considered a danger to the new unipolar world. The United States of America has assumed responsibility for containing these states and/or transforming them into successfully functioning democracies. Currently this is done through military interventions and sanctions. However, a particular state appears: North Korea. They are the most aggressive of the group, but they enjoy the most diplomatic approach. The goal of this article is to understand why North Korea receives different treatment than its fellow dictators. This will be done as follows. First, the definition(s) of rogue states will be provided. Second, criticism from the American point of view will be given. Finally, the reasons for the treatment reserved for the DPRK will be discussed. The term “rogue states” entered the global political arena in the early 1980s, when the United States became preoccupied with issues of international terrorism and state sponsors (Mitchell 2). From the beginning, the exact definition of rogue states has been complex and changing depending on changes in U.S. foreign policy. According to Anthony Lake, these are “recalcitrant and lawless states that not only choose to remain outside the family [of democratic nations], but also attack its fundamental values” (45). As Professor Sara McLaughlin Mitchell has argued, the sta...... middle of article ......Apr. 2014.Howard, Peter. "Why not invade North Korea? Threats, language games and American foreign policy." International Studies Quarterly 48.4 (2004): 805-28. Web.Huntington, Samuel P. “The Lonely Superpower.” Foreign Affairs 78.2 (1999): 35-49. JSTOR. Web. Griffiths, Martin and Terry O'Callaghan. International relations: key concepts. London: Routledge, 2002. Print. Lake, Anthony. “Dealing with States of Reaction.” Foreign Affairs 73.2 (1994): 45-55. JSTOR. Web.Mitchell, Sara McLaughlin and Peter F. Trumbore. “Rogue States and Territorial Conflicts.” Conflict Management and Parts Science (2013): 1-17. Web.Song, Sang-ho. "NK artillery hits S. Korean island." The Korea Herald. Np, November 23, 2010. Web. April 3, 2014.Smith, Derek Delbert. Deterring America: Rogue States and the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2006. Print.