CNN: Former NBA Hall of Famer Heading Back to North Korea

Former NBA player Dennis Rodman is headed to North Korea again, CNN reports.

Rodman has visited North Korea at least four times and is one of the only Americans to have met current North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un. He has previously referred to Kim as a friend and a "very good guy."

Tensions are high between the U.S. and North Korea as Kim has been aggressive in his pursuit of developing a nuclear-armed weapon capable of the reaching the U.S. The United Nations on June 2 broadened sanctions against North Korea, penalizing the country for its repeated missile tests this year — Pyongyang has fired 16 ballistic missiles so far in 2017.

Kim, who visited with Rodman in January 2014, is said to be a big basketball fan. A senior U.S. official said Rodman, an NBA hall of famer, was not there in any official capacity. Rodman was spotted at Beijing International Airport by CNN but declined to answer questions.

He is expected to arrive in Pyongyang on Tuesday.

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