Former U.S. basketball star Dennis Rodman concluded his five-day trip to North Korea on Saturday saying it was "very good," but refrained from disclosing if he and leader Kim Jong Un had met in person this time.

"It's a good trip, a very good trip," Rodman told a horde of journalists upon his arrival at Beijing's international airport from Pyongyang, without elaborating on what was good about it.

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Despite being repeatedly asked whether he had a meeting with Kim, Rodman only said, "That's a good question...you will find out."

Rodman was in North Korea from Tuesday, with the hope of trying to "open the door" at a time when tensions remain high over the country's nuclear and missile programs.

U.S. officials said Rodman traveled to North Korea as a private citizen and did not represent Washington.

Still, Rodman is in a unique position as the highest-profile figure from the United States to have built personal relationships with both the North Korean leader and U.S. President Donald Trump.

"I'm sure he's pretty much happy with the fact that I'm over here trying to accomplish something that we both need," Rodman told reporters in Beijing before leaving for Pyongyang, when asked if he had spoken to Trump in advance of his trip.

Rodman, who won five National Basketball Association championships with the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls in the 1980 and 1990s, was a cast member for two seasons of Trump's pre-presidency "Celebrity Apprentice" reality TV show.

For Rodman, who last traveled to North Korea in January 2014, this was his fifth visit.

He arrived in Pyongyang the same day Otto Warmbier, an American university student who was held for more than 17 months in North Korea, was medically evacuated. U.S. officials have denied any connection between Rodman's trip and the 22-year-old student's release.

On his four previous trips, Rodman received the red-carpet treatment each time and met with Kim on three of them.

The NBA Hall of Famer has described Kim as his "friend for life." During his previous one-week trip, he organized an exhibition basketball game to mark the leader's birthday.

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