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Sister of Kenneth Bae outraged by Rodman


The sister of Kenneth Bae, a U.S. missionary detained in North Korea, was “outraged” at former NBA player Dennis Rodman for unwarranted accusations on the detainee.

Terri Bae, the missionary’s sister, on Tuesday in local time called out Rodman for his comments that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was right to detain Bae, according to U.S. news broadcast CNN.

“Dennis Rodman could do a lot of good by advocating for Kenneth to Kim Jong-un, but instead he has decided to hurl outrageous accusations at my brother, insinuating that Kenneth has done something sinister,” said the distressed sister in a statement.

“He is clearly uninformed about Kenneth’s case, and he is certainly not in any position to pass judgment on Kenneth Bae, who has never any hostile intentions against the DPRK,” she added.

Her statement came after Rodman sang “Happy Birthday” to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un earlier in the day before he led a squad of former NBA stars in a friendly game as part of his “basketball diplomacy.”

Rodman dedicated the game to his “best friend” Kim, who along with his wife and other senior officials and their wives watched from a special sitting area, according to AP.

About 14,000 spectators at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium clapped loudly as Rodman sang a verse from the birthday song.

According to the report, Rodman said he was honored to be able to play the game in the North Korean capital and called the event “historic.’‘ Some members of the U.S. Congress, the NBA and human rights groups, however, say he has become a public relations tool for the North Korean government.

By Chung Joo-won (joowonc@heraldcorp.com)