Former NBA player DENNIS RODMAN arrived in North Korea on Thursday "insisting that his visit has nothing to do with the politics of the pariah state," where the uncle of leader KIM JONG UN was "brutally executed just last week,'' according to Gye & Shears of the London DAILY MAIL. Rodman said he just wanted to ''have some fun'' on his trip. Last week, the dictator had his uncle JANG SONG THAEK "publicly purged and then executed." However, Rodman "has not called off his plan to spend the time between now and Christmas Eve in North Korea." Rodman: "It has nothing to do with me. Whatever his uncle has done, and whoever's done anything in North Korea, I have no control over that. I mean, these things have been going on for years and years and years." Rodman is "expected to provide North Korea's national basketball team with four days of training." He also "intends to return to Pyongyang in January with a team of fellow former NBA stars to hold basketball games on Kim Jong Un's birthday" (DAILY MAIL, 12/19). The SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST reported Rodman "hopes a basketball game he is organising in North Korea will 'engage' the American people" and U.S. President BARACK OBAMA. Rodman: "Sport is so important to people around the world so I hope this is going to engage the American people, especially Obama." Later Thursday, Rodman "arrived in Pyongyang." Rodman: "I know [Kim] is waiting for me to come back. So hopefully we will have some conversation about some things that's going to help the world" (SCMP, 12/19).
