North Korea Presents Detained American to Media

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

North Korea has presented a detained American student before media in Pyongyang.

The student, Otto Warmbier, acknowledged and apologized in a conference attended by the media and some members of the diplomatic community on Monday for stealing a political slogan from a staff-only section of the hotel where he had been staying. Pyongyang calls that an anti-state crime. He said he took it as a trophy for a church that offered to pay him for it.

North Korea announced late last month that it had arrested the 21-year-old University of Virginia undergraduate student. It said that after entering the country as a tourist he conducted an anti-state crime with "the tacit connivance of the U.S. government and under its manipulation."

Former detainees often recant such admissions after their release.


Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/north-korea-presents-detained-american-media-37270567

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By ASSOCIATED PRESS
PYONGYANG, North Korea — Feb 28, 2016, 10:13 PM ET

Short article. No more at link.

[bigworld]

1. If you're headed to an authoritarian country as a tourist

you have to be really dim to try to pull a stupid stunt like this.

[davidpdx]

6. It seems like people are doing it time and time again

Then they get caught and they regret it. It is a matter of simply NOT THINKING THINGS THROUGH RATIONALLY! Stupidity, stupidity, stupidity!

Every time the State Department has to deal with people like this it takes time, money, and other resources.

[titaniumsalute]

11. Assuming he actually stole the item

Let's be real here...DPRK isn't exactly your bastion of truthful media and PR.

[davidpdx]

12. True, but then again why would they mess with him

outside the fact that he is an American? As I said above, if you are going to go you have to follow the rules. He most likely did do something to piss them off.

[titaniumsalute]

15. They are insane

They would mess with him if he's simply an American. Show the N Korean people how tough they are on us. Who knows whqt happened.

[iandhr]

2. What kind of idiot goes to North Korea on vacation?

[jmowreader]

4. The same kind who would steal a political slogan

[treestar]

16. People go, out of curiosity probably

but Americans probably shouldn't.

[GGJohn]

3. Why the hell would anyone go to that sad country as a tourist?

[davidpdx]

5. Some are genuinely curious about the country, as I am given I live in South Korea

But as someone said above (and I have also said before) people who go need to make sure it's only as a tourist. If people don't follow their rules they are going to throw them in jail. It then becomes a waste of time, money, and other resources to try to get them freed.

[GGJohn]

7. Ok, you make a good point.

I was stationed in S. Korea in the 80's, we were constantly on alert for take off, one of the worse times in my military career.

[davidpdx]

8. Were you hear for the ax incident?

I can't remember when that was off hand, but I went up to the DMZ and that was mentioned in the tour. Some day if my mom comes here I'm going to take her and go on the tour again. I want on the one with the USO, which was much better.

They used to have day trips to Kaesong up until a few years ago. Really expensive like $200. One of my friends went and showed me her pictures. I would have done that just out of curiosity. I also have some North Korean money I bought on the black market here. Not sure where it is though.

[GGJohn]

9. No, that was before my tour there.

The one thing that sticks in my mind about S. Korea is that during the summer, the whole country smelled like Kimchee, I loved the stuff, but it sure stunk.

[davidpdx]

13. Q: How do you know you live with a Korean?

A: Every time you open the refrigerator it smell like Kimchee.


(and before anyone gets in a huff and alerts this, I am married to a Korean)

[Bradical79]

10. What kind of church pays someone to steal a North Korean sign?

If you really want it, just go yourself.

[LiberalElite]

14. I suspect this part of the story is closer to who really put him up to it

"He said he was also encouraged in his act by the "Z Society" at the University of Virginia, which he said he was trying to join. The magazine of the university's alumni association describes the Z Society as a "semi-secret ring society" that was founded in 1892 and conducts philanthropy, puts on honorary dinners and grants academic awards."

IMO it was one of the more idiotic fraternity stunts.