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Dennis Rodman arrives in North Korea

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman landed in North Korea on Thursday for the third of his controversial "basketball diplomacy" trips to the country ruled by repressive leader Kim Jong-un.

By JC Finley
Dennis Rodman, pictured in August 2010, arrived in North Korea on December 19, 2013. (File/UPI/Keizo Mori)
Dennis Rodman, pictured in August 2010, arrived in North Korea on December 19, 2013. (File/UPI/Keizo Mori) | License Photo

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman arrived in North Korea on Thursday for a January basketball exhibition between North Korean players and twelve former NBA players; his arrival marks his third trip to the country ruled by repressive leader Kim Jung-un.

Rodman's controversial "basketball diplomacy" trips to North Korea began with his first visit last February. On that trip, he told the Supreme Leader "you have a friend for life."

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Rodman has insisted his visits are neither official nor political. Speaking at his Pyongyang hotel on Thursday, Rodman said “I can’t control what they do with their government, I can’t control what they say or how they do things here... I’m just trying to come here as a sports figure and try to hope I can open the door for a lot of people in the country.”

The controversy over their friendship stems from rising tensions between the United States and North Korea. Earlier this month, North Korea released an 86-year old American veteran who was detained for over a month and accused of "hostile acts." Korean-American Kenneth Bae remains in North Korean custody after being arrested in November 2012 for "hostile acts" and sentenced to fifteen years of hard labor.

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[CNN] [New York Daily News] [UPI]

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