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Rodman on North Korea: I’m going back Aug. 1

Amatuer “ambassador” Dennis Rodman said he’s returning to North Korea, even as the hermit kingdom’s loony leader pumps up the volume on crazy, anti-US threats.

The retired basketball star plans an Aug. 1 visit to North Korea, as a follow-up to his controversial February journey to meet baby-faced tyrant Kim Jong Un.

“We have no plans really, as far as what we’re going to do over there, but we’ll just hang and have some fun!” Rodman told Gossip Extra.

Rodman, accompanied by the Harlem Globetrotters, struck up an unlikely friendship with the North Korean dictator, who loves basketball.

The Worm dismissed Un’s recent threats nuclear attacks on US soil.

He said Cold War threats posed by the Soviet Union in the 1950s and 60s were much more serious — in comparison to Un “just wants to be loved.”

“The Russians were way out there, and they were acting on their threats,” Rodman said. “He [Kim Jong Un] just wants to be loved. He just wants to sit down and talk. That’s all.”

The former Chicago Bulls rebounding savant said he hopes to meet with President Obama before going to North Korea — though that’s highly unlikely. The White House has kept a firm distance from the heavily pierced and tattooed hoopster.

Rodman’s comments came over the weekend during a Miami Beach charity fund-raiser for at-risk youth.

Famed defense lawyer, and event co-host, Roy Black introduced Rodman as “the US ambassador to North Korea.”

“The good thing about Dennis being here is that it makes us pretty sure this city will not be bombed by North Korea tonight,” Black joked.

Meanwhile today, residents of Pyongyang spilled into streets, celebrating the birthday of North Korea founder, Kim Il Sung.

Un’s grandfather was believed to have been born on April 15, 1912.

Touching off a three-day celebration of “the Great Leader’s” birthday, citizens braved cold weather and placed flowers at bronze statues of Kim Il Sung and his successor Kim Jong Il.

Birthdays of the North Korean leaders are treated as the most important holidays in North Korea, as citizens are educated from birth about the alleged greatness of their national founders.

North Korean citizens did not appear to be in a panic over growing international tensions.

“Although the situation is tense, people have got bright faces and are very happy,” said Han Kyong Sim, who works at a beverage stand near the celebrations.

North Korea’s state-run media today made only brief mention of the rising tensions.

The Rodong Sinmun – or the Workers’ Party newspaper — ran photos and coverage of Kim Jong Un’s mausoleum visit to pay respects to his grandfather.

At the end of that article, there was a vow to bring down the “robber-like U.S. imperialists.”

North Korea yesterday also rejected direct talks with South Korea to solve the diplomatic crisis.

South Korea’s unification ministry spokesman, Kim Hyung-suk, said today that North Korea’s stance is “very regrettable,” but reiterated that Seoul is still open to talks with Pyongyang.

Many observers feared North Korea might launch a missile today, to mark its big national holiday.

It appears Monday will end without any such aggression.

“I think they didn’t launch the missile because they may be worried it would be shot down,” said Kim Jin Moo, a North Korea expert at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses in South Korea.

But Kim added that North Korea’s eratic actions can never be accurately forecast: “North Korea may abruptly fire the missile early one morning.”

Secretary of State John Kerry spent the weekend in East Asian, rallying US allies to take a tougher stance on North Korea.

In an interview aired this morning on NBC’s “Today” show, Kerry said North Korea’s most important ally, China, has to take a leading role to keeping the kooky kingdom in check.

“Everybody understands the negative side of what happens if there is a shoot. And my hope is that we can move in a different direction here. China, I think, is serious about this,” Kerry said.

“They understand the instability this is creating.”

If China doesn’t do more to discourage North Korea from military action, it could lead to the region’s destabilzation. Kerry warned.

“That done, I think it is very important to the Chinese to focus on the fact that … if they’re not prepared to put the pressure on the North — and they have the greatest ability to have an impact on the North — then this can become more destabilizing,” he said.

“And that instability is not in China’s interest, certainly. It’s not in anybody’s interest in the region.”

“So if we’re going to operate according to what’s in people’s interest, China’s and everybody else’s, I believe China needs to become more engaged in this effort,” he added.

With AP