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US Prepared to Send Envoy to N. Korea for Release of American

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Kenneth Bae is interviewed by Japanese pro-North Korea newspaper Choson Sinbo at North Korean labor camp in June of 2013
Kenneth Bae is interviewed by Japanese pro-North Korea newspaper Choson Sinbo at North Korean labor camp in June of 2013
The United States says it is prepared to send a special envoy to North Korea to secure the release of jailed American Kenneth Bae, who appeared before reporters Monday appealing for Washington to do its best to bring him home.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity Monday, an Obama administration official told reporters “we have offered to send Ambassador [Robert] King to Pyongyang to secure Bae’s release. We have asked the North Koreans this and await their early response.”

An attempt by King to secure Bae’s release was called off by Pyongyang in August. But the unidentified U.S. official said Washington is hopeful the decision by North Korea to allow Bae to speak to reporters signals its willingness to release him.

Speaking in Korean and under guard Monday, Bae told reporters he wants to return to his family as soon as possible and hopes the United States will help.

“Up until now, I know that Americans here returned [to the U.S.] after a certain period thanks to the generous measures taken by the government of this country and the efforts of the American government,” said Bae. “I would like to request the American government once more, I know for the past 15 months you have made a lot of effort, but now I want to ask you to give me direct assistance not in words, but with action, and solve my problem.”

North Korea sentenced the 45-year-old Bae to 15 years of hard labor on a conviction of state subversion. He was detained in November of 2012 while leading a tour group. North Korea said he used his tourism business to form groups aimed at overthrowing the government.

During a visit to Pyongyang this month, retired NBA basketball player Dennis Rodman said he did not bring up Bae’s release because he was just there to play a basketball game for leader Kim Jong Un’s birthday and have some fun.

Upon his return to the US, Rodman told reporters at the Beijing airport that he was sorry he could not do anything to help free Bae. He said he is not a diplomat and asked the world to put away politics for one day.

“I want to show people that no matter what’s going on in the world, for one day, just one day, not politics, not all this stuff. I’m sorry about all the people that’s gone, I’m sorry. I’m not the president, I’m not an ambassador, I’m Dennis Rodman, just an individual, just showing the world a fact that we can actually get along and be happy for one day. I’d love to see it, I’d love to see it,” Rodman told Reuters, then stopped mid-sentence…. apparently overwhelmed with emotion.

The former NBA star and the team visited the isolated and impoverished country as part of a so-called “basketball diplomacy” trip that has been widely criticized in the U.S. He defended his trip as an effort to “open the door” to North Korea. The former NBA All-Star has said it is not his job to bring up politics with the North Korean leader, who he has referred to as a “good guy” and a “friend for life.”

During an interview on CNN, Rodman unleashed a string of obscenities and implied that Bae was to blame for his own incarceration. He later apologized saying he had been drinking at the time and was stressed out.

State Department and White House officials have stressed that Rodman’s trip was unhelpful and not sanctioned by the U.S.

On Saturday, Rodman spokesman Darren Prince said that the former NBA star checked into an alcohol rehab facility on his own volition. He did not disclose the location of the center and did not say how long Rodman would be there.

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