As the international community discusses tightening sanctions on North Korea for its recent nuclear
test, basketball star Dennis Rodman has embarked on his first visit to the reclusive state.
Choi You-sun has more.
Five-time NBA champion Dennis Rodman, well-known for his colorfully dyed hair, tattoos, piercings
and "bad boy" image, arrived Tuesday in one of the world's most isolated countries, North
Korea.
During his week-long stay, Rodman, along with his exhibition basketball team, the Harlem
Globetrotters, will run a basketball camp for North Korean children and shoot hoops
with North Korean basketball players.
"It's my first time.
I think it's most of these guys' first time here.
So hopefully everything is going to be okay, and hopefully the kids will have a good time
for the game."
The former basketball star's attempt at "sports diplomacy" in the Hermit Kingdom, comes on
the heels of Pyongyang's back-to-back rocket launch and nuclear test that have drawn strong
condemnation from the international community.
Despite the North's recent rhetoric against the U.S. for spearheading a post-rocket launch
UN resolution, there's speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a reported NBA
and Rodman fan, could meet with his basketball idol.
Rodman has also expressed his hope for a meeting with the North Korean leader.
Washington, however, is not as enthused.
After having criticized Google chief Eric Schmidt's private mission to North Korea earlier
this year as being "unhelpful," Washington distanced itself from this latest trip and
said Rodman's group did not contact the U.S. government prior to the visit.
"We don’t vet U.S. citizens’ private travel to North Korea, but we do urge U.S. citizens
contemplating travel to North Korea to review our Travel Warnings on North Korea."
Although it's unlikely that Rodman's publicized trip will change the situation either in or
outside of the reclusive regime, the delegation said it aims to encourage North Korean people
to open up and improve relations with the outside world.
Choi You-sun, Arirang News.