Dennis Rodman says a letter he wrote to his 'dear friend for life' Kim Jong-Un led to the release of a US citizen who had been detained in North Korea Former basketball player wrote to his 'friend for life' Kim Jong-Un Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller are believed to be heading home Rodman asked for 'mercy' for Bae and urged the leader to free him Miller from California was serving a six-year jail term for espionage Korean-American Bae was given 15-year term for anti-government activities President Obama said it was a 'wonderful day for them and their families' Last month Ohio resident Jeffrey Fowle was freed by the hermit kingdom By Associated Press and Wills Robinson for MailOnline Dennis Rodman has claimed that he is behind the release of one of the US citizens who have been freed after they were detained in North Korea. The former basketball star wrote to his 'friend for life' Kim Jong-Un and begged him for mercy in the case of Kenneth Bae - who had been imprisoned in the hermit kingdom for six months. He was let go along with Matthew Miller and the pair are now reportedly on their way home. In a letter sent to the communist dictator earlier this year that was shown to TMZ, Rodman wrote: '[I] would be eternally grateful for his safe return and make a big step towards bridging the gap between our two nations.' He also compliments the leader's progress, such as the construction of new water parks and airport terminals, in his 'beautiful country' and thanked him for a special stay. 'Friend for life': Dennis Rodman has claimed that he is behind the release of one of the US citizens who have been freed after they were detained in North Korea after he reached out to Kim Jong-Un The former basketball star wrote to his 'friend for life' Kim Jong-Un and begged him for mercy in the case of Kenneth Bae (pictured) - who had been imprisoned in the hermit kingdom for six months Diplomacy: In a letter sent to the communist dictator earlier, Rodman wrote: '[I] would be eternally grateful for his safe return and make a big step towards bridging the gap between our two nations.' The note continues: 'I understand the crimes he committeed and ask you my dear friend, the highly respected Marshall Kim Jong Un for his release to show my country how loving and compassionate you and the DPRK can be.' Rodman told the site he sent the letter and January and believes his trips to the communist country influenced the developments. 264 shares He visited North Korea three times last year, in February, March and December, but he said he had been threatened with sanctions by Washington if he continued his activities in the country. In the past, the former NBA player, how famous for his piercings and tattoos has been accused of being duped by Pyongyang and pandering to the North Korean leader, singing 'Happy Birthday' to Kim at an exhibition basketball game and dismissing evidence of rampant rights abuses and repression. But he insisted Kim wants to hold discussions with President Barack Obama and has told him the North has nuclear weapons because it is a small country that has to defend itself. Travel: Rodman visited North Korea three times last year, in February, March and December, but he said he had been threatened with sanctions by Washington if he continued his activities in the country A spokesman for Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said he was accompanying Americans Bae and Miller on their journey back to the United States. Bae and Miller were the last Americans held by North Korea following the release last month of Jeffrey Fowle, an Ohio resident detained for nearly six months. Miller, who's from Bakersfield, California, was serving a six-year jail term on charges of espionage, after he allegedly ripped his tourist visa at Pyongyang's airport in April and demanded asylum. North Korea said Miller had wanted to experience prison life so that he could secretly investigate North Korea's human rights situation. Bae, who's from Lynnwood, Washington, is a Korean-American missionary with health problems. He was serving a 15-year sentence for alleged anti-government activities. He was detained in 2012 while leading a tour group to a North Korea economic zone. His delighted son, Jonathan, told Reuters from Arizona that he received a call Friday night and spoke to his father. 'The brief time on the phone, he sounded good,' Jonathan said. 'I'm sure he will be back to his old self in no time. It came out of the blue. One minute he was doing farm labor and the next minute they are saying, 'You are going home.' Just like everyone else, he was surprised. Fowle had been detained after leaving a Bible in a nightclub in the hope that it would reach the country's underground Christian community. The announcement about Bae and Miller came one day before Obama travels to Asia for a three-country visit. He said today that it was a 'wonderful day for them and their families' and was 'grateful' the pair had been returned. Fowle, who was detained after he put a bible in a nightclub, told CNN the pair should have been released before he was, but was happy they were now home. He also admitted that ghe only realized he wasn't being freed with them when he got on the plane. Gordon Chang, the author of Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes On the World, told Fox that the release of three detainees within the space of a month could indicate a changing Philosophy in Pyongyang. U.S. officials did not immediately provide other details about the circumstances of the Americans' release or when they would return home. Administration officials said the timing of the release was not related to President Barack Obama's imminent trip to China, Myanmar and Australia. The Korean-American who has health problems was detained in 2012 while leading a tour group to a North Korea economic zone Clapper traveled to North Korea as a presidential envoy, officials said, and apparently is the highest-ranking administration official to visit Pyongyang. Obama said he Clapper was 'doing a great job on what was obviously a challenging mission.' The development does not mean a change in U.S. posture regarding North Korea's disputed nuclear program, and the North still must show it is serious and ready to abide by commitments toward denuclearization and improved human rights, said a senior Obama administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss national security matters. The official said there was no quid pro quo involved in the Americans' release. The U.S. notified allies of Clapper's trip to North Korea and alerted members of the congressional leadership once his visit was underway, the official said. The State Department issued a statement thanking Sweden for its part in the release of Bae and Miller. Sweden serves as a diplomatic intermediary for the United States in North Korea because Washington has no diplomatic ties with Pyongyang. North Korea has been on a diplomatic campaign to counter charges by a U.N. body that highlighted widespread human rights abuses and a move by some U.N. members to refer the state to an international tribunal. 'North Korean policy continues to zig-zag,' said Stephan Haggard, a North Korea expert at the University of California in San Diego. After pursuing a charm offensive aimed at restarting North-South talks and even a human rights dialogue, North Korea shut those initiatives down following the tabling of a strongly worded human rights resolution at the U.N. General Assembly. But the release of Miller and Bae suggests an effort to keep channels for dialogue open. Bae and Miller were the last Americans held by North Korea following the release last month of Jeffrey Fowle (pictured), an Ohio resident detained for nearly six months