Intro:

Dennis Rodman flies to North Korea to "hang out" with the country's Supreme Leader, Kim Jong-un.

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman landed in North Korea on Tuesday for what he called a trip to "hang out" with the country's authoritarian leader Kim Jong-un, have a good time and bridge some cultural gaps - but not to be a diplomat.

The visit by the flamboyant basketball hall of famer - his second to North Korea - comes days after Pyongyang rejected a visit by a US envoy who had hoped to bring home Kenneth Bae, an American missionary jailed there.

It's thought the snub relates to recent military exercises by the United States in South Korea with nuclear-capable B-52 bombers.

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

Rodman was greeted at Pyongyang's airport by Son Kwang-ho, vice-chairman of North Korea's Olympic Committee.

Speaking to reporters ahead of his flight to Pyongyang, Rodman declined to say whether he would seek Bae's release.

Rodman first met Kim - reportedly a diehard basketball fan - during a visit in February to promote the sport and make a film.

US officials frowned on the trip at the time for handing the young leader a propaganda boost.
In the weeks that followed, after United Nations sanctions imposed in early March over a nuclear test by North Korea in February, the Pyongyang government threatened Washington and Seoul with nuclear and missile strikes and shut down an inter-Korean factory in the border region.

Rodman, however, suggested "basketball diplomacy" could warm relations and said that Kim wanted President Barack Obama to pick up the phone and call him.

He has described Kim an "awesome guy".

Rodman told reporters on Tuesday that he planned to see Kim "pretty soon", perhaps later in the day or on Wednesday

Script:

SOUNDBITE (English)

"My main plan is basically to come here not to be a diplomat, to be a friend of the marshal (Kim) and of the country of North Korea, and just to show people around the world that you know what? We as Americans can actually get along with North Korea. And I am an athlete, and I know that the marshal, he loves sports, he loves basketball, so I guess that me and him have something in common. So I've come over here to visit him, to see how he's doing, see how the family is doing, and just revisit the country."

SUPER CAPTION: Dennis Rodman, Former NBA star