PECULIARITIES OF SPORTS AND POLITICAL CONTACTS OF A FORMER «CHICAGO BULLS» BASKETBALL PLAY- ER DENNIS RODMAN WITH THE DPRK «SUPREME LEADER» KIM JONG UN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29038/2524-2679-2022-01-5-29Keywords:
DPRK nuclear programme, DPRK – USА relations, human rights, «basketball diplomacy», friendly matchesAbstract
The United States and Western countries characterize North Korea as a «commu- nist, isolated, closed, repressive, secret totalitarian state». There are no diplomatic relations between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Ko- rea, and the US State Department advised its citizens not to travel to the DPRK for their own safety, or banned travels altogether. Therefore, in 2013 a trip of a well-known former basketball player D. Rodman, a teammate of the legendary M. Jordan in the «Chicago Bulls», to Pyongyang at the personal invitation of Kim Jong Un aroused great interest and public response in the United States. The world community hoped that Kim's love of basketball, his fascination with the Bulls, on the one hand, and the NBA star's efforts, on the other, could help resolve issues in bilateral relations, namely, the release of American citizens, human rights, and the end of North Korea's nuclear missile tests, and will establish another unofficial channel of communication between the countries. His first trips to North Korea were called «basketball diplomacy» in the American press. The athlete said, he had tried to urge the US President Obama to «pick up the phone and call» Kim, emphasizing that both countries’ leaders loved basketball, and he offered his ser- vices to the US President Trump as a mediator in negotiations with North Korea. However, as it turned out, Rodman's behavior during his five visits to the North Korean leader, the unpredictable nature of the athlete, his «lifelong friendship with Kim» had nothing to do with «big politics». The author of the article argues that D. Rodman's statements about the «Supreme Leader» and the DPRK politicize his private sports contacts only in some way, allow him to remain a well-known media personality, and confirm Dennis's own words: «I'm not a politician, I'm just a bas- ketball ambassador».
References
Kir'janov, O. Kakie podarki poluchali lidery Severnoj Korei. URL: https:// rg.ru/2015/05/27/muzei-site.html.
Dennis Rodman budet trenirovat' sbornuju Severnoj Korei. URL: https://vvv.delfi. lt/ru/sport/vorld/dennis-rodman-budet-trenirovat-sbornuju-severnoj-korei.d?id=62276129.
Kir'janov, O. Dennis Rodman mozhet vypolnjat' rol' specposla Trampa k Kim Chen Ynu. URL: https://rg.ru/2017/06/13/dennis-rodman-mozhet-vypolniat-rol-specposla-tram- pa-k-kim-chen-ynu.html.
Kim Chen Yn, rukovoditel' Severnoj Korei, Programma «48 minut», vypusk ot vіd 13 sentjabrja 2017 r. URL: https://echo.msk.ru/programs/48minut/2054190-echo/.
Fajfild, A. Velikij preemnik. Bozhestvenno sovershennaja sud'ba vydajushhegosja tovarishha Kim Chen Yna. Elektronnaja kniga, Al'pina Pablisher, 2020, (Rossija v global'noj politike).
Coren, А., Hanna, J. Dennis Rodman lands in North Korea to train basketball team, news agency says. URL: https://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/19/world/asia/north-korea-den- nis-rodman/index.html.
McCurry, J. Kim Jong-un the clear winner in Dennis Rodman's basketball diplo- macy. URL: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/08/kim-jong-un-dennis-rodman- north-korea.
Meacham-Zittel, R. To negotiate with North Korea, send in Dennis Rodman. URL: https://nondoc.com/2017/08/16/negotiate-north-korea-send-dennis-rodman/.
Weinreich, М. Dennis Rodman, Kim Jong Un watch basketball game in North Korea. URL: https://www.si.com/si-wire/2013/02/28/dennis-rodman-north-korea-kim-jong-un.
Amerikanskij basketbolist i severokorejskij lider posetili basketbol'nyj match. URL: https://www.golosameriki.com/a/nokor-nba/1613202.html.
Dennis Rodman i Kim Chen Yn splanirovali sovmestnyj otpusk. URL: https://lb.ua/ world/2013/03/12/192300_dennis_rodman_kim_chen_in.html.
Dennis Rodman – Kim Chen Ynu: otpusti amerikanca domoj. URL: https://www. golosameriki.com/a/nokor/1656842.html.
Basketbolist Dennis Rodman vernulsja iz Severnoj Korei. URL: https://www. golosameriki.com/a/dennis-rodman/1745399.html.
Dennis Rodman ocholyt zbirnu KNDR. URL: https://ua.korrespondent.net/sport/ basketball/1601683-dennis-rodman-ocholit-zbirnu-kndr/.
Chiari, M. Dennis Rodman and Paddy Power Announce Basketball Invitational in North Korea. URL: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1767001-dennis-rodman-and-pad- dy-power-announce-basketball-invitational-in-north-korea.
Dennis Rodman edet v KNDR. URL: https://www.golosameriki.com/a/dennis-rod- man-nokor/1811269.html.
Kim Chen Yn i Dennis Rodman prisutstvujut na basketbol'nom matche v Phen'jane. URL: https://www.svoboda.org/a/25224584.html.
Goldberg, R. Dennis Rodman Wants to «Straighten Things Out» Between Donald Trump, North Korea. URL: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2731781-dennis-rodman- wants-to-straighten-things-out-between-donald-trump-north-korea.
Kim Chen Yn pridumal bezumnye i strannye pravila igry v basketbol. URL: https:// sport.rambler.ru/other/43954593-kim-chen-yn-pridumal-bezumnye-i-strannye-pravila-igry- v-basketbol
Yurchuk, M. Kim Chen Yn u zakhvati vid basketbolu. Vin vse zhyttia fanatiie vid NBA ta mriiav pohovoryty pro tse z Barakom Obamoiu. URL: Bloh Shtatna sytuatsiia, https://ua.tribuna.com/tribuna/blogs/mirychblog/2832765.html.
Vizit Dennisa Rodmana v Severnuju Koreju. URL: http://www.nbasports.ru/news/ novosti-nba/vizit-dennisa-rodmana-v-severnuyu-koreyu.html.
Dong-hyuk, Shin. How Dennis Rodman can help the North Korean people.
URL: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-dennis-rodman-can-help-the- north-korean-people/2013/12/17/b08e55dc-6689-11e3-8b5b-a77187b716a3_story. html.
Plemennoj zherebec Dennis Rodman. URL: https://archive.aif.ru/ar- chive/1626431.
Araslanov, M. «Ja tak sil'no hotel, chtoby menja ljubili». Tragedija ve- likogo Dennisa Rodmana. URL: https://www.championat.com/basketball/article- 4185597-legenda-nba-dennis-rodman-stal-uspeshnym-nesmotrja-na-tragicheskie- obstojatelstva-v-zhizni.html?utm_source=copypaste.
Dennisa Rodmana arestovali za vozhdenie v netrezvom vide. URL: https:// mir24.tv/news/16286923/dennisa-rodmana-arestovali-za-vozhdenie-v-netrezvom- vide.
Andrews-Dyer, H. A brief guide to Dennis Rodman’s long, weird history with North Korea. URL: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/ wp/2018/06/12/a-brief-guide-to-dennis-rodmans-long-weird-history-with-north-ko- rea/
Salcedo, M. Dennis Rodman: Kim Jong Un wants to talk basketball with Obama. URL: https://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/dennis-rodman-kim-jong-un-wants-to- talk-basketball-with-obama-1.1179659
Obama ne stal zvonit' Kim Chen Unu. URL: https://korrespondent.net/ world/1516343-obama-ne-stal-zvonit-kim-chen-unu.
Chudnovtsev, S. Odioznyi hravets NBA Dennis Rodman zaproponuvav Tram- pu dopomohu v orhanizatsii zustrichi z Kim Chen Ynom. URL: https://nv.ua/ukr/ world/countries/odioznij-hravets-nba-dennis-rodman-zaproponuvav-trampu-dopo- mohu-v-orhanizatsiji-zustrichi-z-kim-chen-inom-2456872.html?utm_content=set_ lang.
Veteran NBA Dennis Rodman vnov' otpravilsja v Severnuju Koreju. URL: http://www.runyweb.com/articles/people/star-life/dennis-rodman-travels-to-north- korea-again.html.
Rodman defends controversial visit to DPRK. URL: https://www.chinadaily. com.cn/world/2014-01/08/content_17222381.htm.
Basketbolist Dennis Rodman pribyl v Singapur v kanun sammita SShA – KNDR. URL: https://mir24.tv/news/16309232/basketbolist-dennis-rodman-pribyl-v- singapur-v-kanun-sammita-ssha-kndr.
Gavrilec, B. Dzhon Bolton: «Donal'd Tramp i Kim Chen Yn na sammite v Singapure govorili o Dennise Rodmane». URL: https://ua.tribuna.com/basket- ball/1086366003.html.
Niemietz, В. Dennis Rodman plans to take Kim Jong Un to a Knicks game. URL: https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ny-ent-dennis-rodman-james- dolan-kim-jung-un-20180626-story.html.
Dennis Rodman hochet, chtoby Kan'e zapisal al'bom v Severnoj Koree. URL: https://www.buro247.ua/culture/music/dennis-rodman-kanye-west-north-korea-al- bum.html.
V Rossii unizili Dennisa Rodmana. URL: http://www.gazeta.ru/ sport/2014/11/28/a_6320005.shtml.
Weaver, A. First Kim Jong-Un, Now Putin: Dennis Rodman Says Russian President Is ‘Actually Cool’. URL: https://dailycaller.com/2014/12/09/first-kim-jong- un-now-putin-dennis-rodman-says-russian-president-is-actually-cool-video/.
Kolov, A. Dennis Rodman otreagiroval na sluhi o smerti Kim Chen Yna. URL: https://www.championat.com/basketball/news-4043725-dennis-rodman-otre- agiroval-na-sluhi-o-smerti-kim-chen-yna.html.
Dennis Rodman rasskazal o docheri Kim Chen Una. URL: https://korrespon- dent.net/world/1528192-dennis-rodman-rasskazal-o-docheri-kim-chen-una.
O vstreche basketbolista i diktatora snimut fil'm. URL: http://thr.ru/cinema/o- vstrece-basketbolista-i-diktatora-snimut-film.
Kim Chen Yn treboval priezda «izvestnyh basketbolistov» v ramkah jadernoj sdelki s SShA. URL: https://ua.tribuna.com/basketball/1074434807.html.
North Korea to Host Paddy Power Dennis Rodman Invitational. URL: https:// www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130909006149/en/North-Korea-to-Host-Pad- dy-Power-Dennis-Rodman-Invitational.
Paddy Power Pulls Dennis Rodman North Korea Sponsorship. URL: https:// sbcnews.co.uk/featurednews/2014/01/02/paddy-power-pulls-dennis-rodman-north- korea-sponsorship/.
Mullen, J. Dennis Rodman's North Korea trip is backed by a digital curren- cy for weed. URL: https://money.cnn.com/2017/06/13/technology/dennis-rodman- north-korea-potcoin/index.html.
Pochemu Dennis Rodman prodvinul Potkoina na sammite v Severnoj Koree. URL: https://hitechglitz.com/russia/%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%B5%D0% BC%D1%83-%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%81
Dennis Rodman prigovoren k ispravitel'nym rabotam. URL: http://sport. bigmir.net/basketball/other/1546011-Dennis-Rodman-prigovoren-k-ispravitel-nym- rabotam.
Ambassador Rodman Official Tee. URL: https://represent.com/rodman/den- nis-rodman-ambassador-i-come-in-peace-limited-edition-t-shirt.
Zinser, L. Tensions Rising With North Korea, but Dennis Rodman Is There. URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/27/sports/basketball/dennis-rodman-ar- rives-in-north-korea-for-tour.html.
