Dennis Rodman in North Korea again for 'basketball diplomacy'

Flamboyant former US basketball star Dennis Rodman has travelled to North Korea, apparently for another round of his so-called "basketball diplomacy".

Rodman is undertaking the trip as a private citizen, despite a US advisory against travel to the secretive country and amid tension over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests.

Ahead of his arrival, Rodman, who has visited North Korea before and met the country's leader Kim Jong Un, told journalists at Beijing's airport that he was "trying to open the door" to the isolated country.

"My purpose is to actually to see if I can keep bringing sports to North Korea, so that's the main thing," he said.

Dressed in a black t-shirt emblazoned with the logo of his trip's sponsor, a crypto-currency provider for the legal marijuana industry, the basketball legend said he thought US President Donald Trump would be "happy with the fact that I am over here trying to accomplish something that we both need".

Mr Trump has been somewhat ambivalent on North Korea, describing the North's leader Kim Jong Un as a "madman with nuclear weapons", but also on one occasion as "a pretty smart cookie".

Rodman has described his past trips to North Korea as "basketball diplomacy".

Thomas Shannon, the US under secretary of state, said the administration was aware of Rodman's visit, but that travel warnings on North Korea remained in place.

"We wish him well. But we have issued travel warnings to Americans and suggested they not travel to North Korea for their own safety," he said.

Four Americans are being held in North Korea, including 22-year-old student Otto Warmbier, who was detained in January 2016 and sentenced to 15 years' hard labor for attempting to steal a propaganda banner.

It was unclear whether Rodman would meet Kim this visit.