Former NBA star Dennis Rodman believes that he should be given credit for the release of Kenneth Bae, expressing belief that he was the one who convinced North Korea's Kim Jong-un to release the detained American missionary.
Rodman said in an interview with TMZ that his trips to North Korea to meet and befriend Jong-un led to the release of Bae on Saturday after being jailed in North Korea over the past two years.
"No doubt, our trips helped influence Kenneth Bae's release and I'm happy he is coming home safely," Rodman said.
Rodman was criticized for his several trips to North Korea to meet their leader, but the former Chicago Bulls star insisted that he just wanted to become an instrument for peace. In a letter obtained by TMZ, Rodman asked the North Korean leader to strongly consider releasing Bae.
"I understand the crimes [Bae] committed, and ask you my dear friend, the highly respected Marshall Kim Jong Un for his release to show my country how loving and compassionate you and the DPRK can be," Rodman wrote. "I ask for your mercy to prisoner Kenneth Bae and would be eternally grateful for his safe return and make a big step towards bridging the gap between our two nations."
Bae was arrested in North Korea in 2012 and was handed a 15-year jail imprisonment. But in a surprising development on Saturday, the American missionary was freed along with another American detainee Matthew Miller. Previous reports indicated that Bae was arrested for allegedly conducting anti-government activities in November 2-12.
Bae's sister, Terri Chung, expressed gratitude to the United States government and Swedish Embassy along with all the people who supported their call for his brother's release in North Korea, while also saying that they are glad North Korean officials "relented."
"We sincerely thank the United States government for all the hard work and dedication to securing my brother's release, as well as the release of Matthew Todd Miller," Chung posted on Facebook. "We are also grateful to the DPRK government for allowing them to come home. We must also thank the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang for their tireless efforts to advocate for Kenneth during his prolonged imprisonment."
