Why Is Dennis Rodman Traveling To North Korea? Ex-NBA Star Won’t Discuss Detained Americans With Kim Jong Un

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who has been criticized by human rights groups for traveling to North Korea, headed to the reclusive country again, according to reports Monday. He arrived in North Korea on Tuesday.

Rodman’s North Korea trip triggered speculation whether he would discuss about Americans detained in the East Asian country. However, he said the issue is “not my purpose right now,” the Associated Press (AP) reported.

Read: Why Is North Korea So Isolated?

Currently five U.S. citizens have been held captive by North Korea for offenses ranging from espionage, committing “hostile acts” to stealing a political banner.

Rodman tweeted Tuesday saying the trip was sponsored by PotCoin, a cybercurrency used to buy and sell weed in state-regulated markets.

At Beijing's international airport, Rodman was asked if he spoke to President Donald Trump about North Korea. The 56-year-old replied: “Well, I’m pretty sure he’s [the president] pretty much happy with the fact that I’m over here trying to accomplish something that we both need.”

While the reason for Rodman’s trip to North Korea remains unclear, the Washington Post reported, citing officials, the Trump administration is trying to open up dialogue with the isolated country. The administration is also attempting to establish a secret back channel to Kim using “an associate of Trump’s” instead of North Korea experts and former officials who already have communication with Pyongyang, the Post reported. The newspaper also added it was unclear if Rodman was part of that plan.

“But one thing we know is that Trump is transactional,” one official told the newspaper. “He’s not a member of the Foreign Service — his focus is on getting things done.”

In April, Trump called Kim a “pretty smart cookie” and in May, he said he would be “honored” to meet the North Korean leader “under right circumstances.”

Thomas Shannon, the U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, told reporters in Tokyo that Rodman was traveling to North Korea as a private citizen.

“We are aware of his visit. We wish him well, but we have issued travel warnings to Americans suggested they not travel to North Korea for their own safety,” Shannon said, according to the AP.

Read: American Detained In North Korea Gets Help From Trump Administration

Rodman is reportedly traveling with Joseph Terwilliger, a professor who has accompanied him on previous trips to North Korea.

The former basketball player visited North Korea at least four times and three of those visits took place between 2013 and 2014. In January 2014, Rodman took part in a basketball game with other former NBA players and North Koreans. He also sung a rendition of “Happy Birthday” to Kim during the visit.

Rodman often called his trips to North Korea as a "basketball diplomacy" project and said it was a "great idea for the world."

"I'm sorry for what's going on in North Korea, the certain situations," Rodman told CNN in 2014, but he did not elaborate what those "situations" were.