Update (Oct. 14): North Korea granted Kenneth Bae's mother permission to visit her son. The Los Angeles Timesreports that Myunghee Bae arrived in North Korea on Friday and said her son's health "is not so good" but "has gotten much better."

The two have not seen each other since Bae's arrest last November. The purpose of his mother's five-day visit is to encourage her son while he is still sick in the hospital.

"As a mother, I worry endlessly about his health," said his mother in a videotaped statement. "I want to see him, comfort and hold him in person. I miss him so much."

Although North Korea is still showing no sign of releasing Bae, some analysts think the surprising gesture of allowing Bae's mother to visit indicates North Korea's softening relationship toward the United States.

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Update (Sept. 3): Days after North Korea rescinded U.S. envoy Robert King's visit to Pyongyang, basketball superstar Dennis ...

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