North Korea: Rodman On Return Trip To See Kim

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has returned to North Korea for a second visit to see leader Kim Jong-Un.

However, the flamboyant basketball player insists he is not taking on a diplomatic role.

The trip comes days after Pyongyang rejected an application for a visit from a US envoy who had hoped to bring home American missionary Kenneth Bae, who is currently in jail.

Speaking to reporters at Beijing airport before leaving for Pyongyang, Rodman did not say whether he would seek Mr Bae's release. "I'm not going to talk about that," he said.

"I just want to meet my friend Kim, the marshal, and start a basketball league over there or something like that.

The North Korean leader is a keen fan of basketball

"I have not been promised anything. I am just going there as a friendly gesture."

Mr Bae was arrested in November and sentenced to 15 years of hard labour for what Pyongyang described as hostile acts against the state.

Rodman once asked on his Twitter account for Kim to "do me a solid" and release Mr Bae - Kim has the power to grant special pardons under the North's constitution.

The tweet Rodman posted on US missionary Kenneth Bae

"I'm not there to be a diplomat. I'm there to go there and just have a good time, sit with (Kim) and his family, and that's pretty much it," Rodman said, adding that he planned to see Kim "pretty soon".

When he was asked if he was bringing any of his own brand of vodka to North Korea, Rodman chuckled and said no.

"They love whiskey. They love tequila. They love vodka, stuff like this, so hopefully we'll go to have a nice dinner, sit there and talk," said Rodman.

"I'm just going over there to have a good time and try to bridge the gap with Americans and North Koreans. Just let's let people see in America that it's not a bad thing to go to North Korea and have a good time and meet new people."

Rodman first met Kim - a diehard basketball fan - during a visit in February to promote the sport and make a film. US officials were against the trip on the grounds that it gave North Korea's young leader a propaganda boost.

Rodman has suggested "basketball diplomacy" could warm relations and said that Kim wanted President Barack Obama to pick up the phone and call him. He has called Kim an "awesome guy".

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