Dennis Rodman said this week that although he had good intentions when visiting North Korea, he will not go again if people disapprove.
“I don’t want people to look at me as the devil or evil person,” Rodman told ESPN. “If you don’t want me to go back there ever again, I won’t go back.”
Rodman has attracted negative attention for his trips to North Korea, including this January’s visit, when he organized an exhibition basketball game and presented the country’s dictator, Kim Jong Un, with several expensive gifts. Rodman lashed out at critics of the visit but later apologized, saying he was under the influence of alcohol.
The 52-year-old retired NBA player defended his trip and friendship with Kim, saying he felt misunderstood by “narrow-minded” people.
“I wish they understood the whole purpose of why I went to North Korea,” Rodman said. “I just wanted to be, just do happy things and do great things in life. That’s all I wanted to do.”
