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Rodman sings Happy Birthday to North Korea's Kim Jong-un | |
(about 5 hours later) | |
US basketball star Dennis Rodman has sung Happy Birthday to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in front of a crowd of thousands in the capital. | |
Rodman said Mr Kim, who was in the audience with his wife and other senior officials, was his "best friend". | |
The former NBA star is on his fourth North Korean visit to mark Mr Kim's birthday with a basketball match. | |
He has angrily defended his visit after criticism from rights groups. The US said he does not represent the country. | |
The crowd of about 14,000 at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium clapped and waved as Rodman sang Happy Birthday on Wednesday, the Associated Press news agency says. | |
Rodman is with a team of former National Basketball Association (NBA) players who played an exhibition match. He said the match was to celebrate Kim Jong-un's birthday, although the leader's official birthday and age have not been confirmed. | |
The celebration comes weeks after the execution of Mr Kim's uncle, Chang Song-thaek, once seen as a major power in North Korea. His rapid and brutal purge has sparked concern over stability inside the country. | |
Meanwhile, state news agency KCNA has announced that elections for North Korea's rubber-stamp parliament will be held on 9 March - an event which could provide a hint of who the key players are in the wake of Mr Chang's execution. | |
'Take the abuse' | 'Take the abuse' |
Dennis Rodman has said that he was on a "basketball diplomacy" mission in North Korea. He remains the highest-profile American to have met the young Mr Kim. | |
Rodman had been asked several times in the past whether he could use his relationship with Mr Kim to discuss Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American sentenced to 15 years' hard labour in May 2013. | Rodman had been asked several times in the past whether he could use his relationship with Mr Kim to discuss Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American sentenced to 15 years' hard labour in May 2013. |
North Korea said that Mr Bae - described as both a tour operator and Christian missionary - had used his tourism business to plot sedition. | North Korea said that Mr Bae - described as both a tour operator and Christian missionary - had used his tourism business to plot sedition. |
Asked again in a CNN interview on Tuesday, Rodman appeared to lose his cool, saying: "If you understand what Kenneth Bae did... Do you understand what he did in this country? ... I would love to speak on this." | |
His visit was about opening "the door a little bit", he said, even though the team would have "to go back to America and take the abuse". | His visit was about opening "the door a little bit", he said, even though the team would have "to go back to America and take the abuse". |
A White House spokesman declined to comment on Rodman's remarks, but reiterated a call for North Korea to release Mr Bae - who is suffering from ill health - on humanitarian grounds. | A White House spokesman declined to comment on Rodman's remarks, but reiterated a call for North Korea to release Mr Bae - who is suffering from ill health - on humanitarian grounds. |
Mr Bae's sister described Rodman's comments as appalling. | Mr Bae's sister described Rodman's comments as appalling. |
"He clearly doesn't know anything about Kenneth, about his case," Terri Chung told CNN. "This isn't some game. This is about a person's life." | "He clearly doesn't know anything about Kenneth, about his case," Terri Chung told CNN. "This isn't some game. This is about a person's life." |
Another player, former NBA star Charles D Smith, meanwhile, told the Associated Press news agency that he felt "remorse" for participating in the trip amid the backlash in the US. | Another player, former NBA star Charles D Smith, meanwhile, told the Associated Press news agency that he felt "remorse" for participating in the trip amid the backlash in the US. |
"I feel a lot of remorse for the guys because we are doing something positive, but it's a lot bigger than us. We are not naive, we understand why things are being portrayed the way they are." | "I feel a lot of remorse for the guys because we are doing something positive, but it's a lot bigger than us. We are not naive, we understand why things are being portrayed the way they are." |