Rodman lands in NKorea to visit his 'friend' Kim

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has landed in North Korea on what he calls a mission to hang out with his friend, authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un.

The trip by the flamboyant basketballer is his second to North Korea

Tuesday's visit comes days after Pyongyang rejected a visit by a U.S. envoy who had hoped to bring home an American missionary jailed there, Kenneth Bae.

Rodman isn't saying whether he'll seek Bae's release. He told reporters in Beijing that he wants to start a basketball league in Pyongyang.

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