North Korea announced his detention on Friday in a state media report accusing Otto Warmbier of committing a “hostile act” orchestrated by the US.
Advertisement
North Korea’s official KCNA news agency claimed in a report that the University of Virginia student “was caught committing a hostile act against the state” that was “tolerated and manipulated by the US government”.
The U.S. Department of State said it was “aware of media reports that a U.S. citizen was detained in North Korea”.
U.Va. spokesman Anthony P.de Bruyn said the university has been in touch with Warmbier’s family, but declined to comment further or say whether he was in the region during winter break on a university-affiliated program. 2 after participating in a five-day trip organized by Young Pioneer Tours.
Republican presidential candidate John Kasich (KAY’-sik) has written to the Democratic president asking that “every effort” be made to secure release of Otto Warmbier (WORM’-bir) and that his Cincinnati-area family be kept apprised of the efforts.
The United States had little leverage with North Korea, which has an embassy in New York City, Hall said.
The Reuters news agency cites KCNA as saying the detainee was a Virginia university student and had entered North Korea with an “aim to destroy the country’s unity”. It did not elaborate.
Warmbier is now a student at the University of Virginia.
Hyeon Soo Lim, the head pastor at a Toronto church that is one of Canada’s largest, had been held in North Korea since February.
Warmbier is a 2013 graduate of Wyoming High School. “The idea that any of this happened is insane”.
Small American flags have been placed in the trees in front of the Warmbier family home on Friday, Jan. 22, in Wyoming, Ohio.
The North quit the dialogue process in 2009, ostensibly to pro-test sanctions imposed after a long-range rocket test. The following month it conducted its second nuclear test.
North Korea has a long history of detaining foreigners, and the U.S. and Canadian governments advise against travel there.
Many offenses for which tourists are detained “are really acts that would be considered benign or silly in other countries”, Melvin says. This month, a Korean-American told CNN in Pyongyang he was being held by the state for spying.
Hall helped negotiate the release of West Carrollton resident Jeffrey Fowle, who flew aboard a USA government jet to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base after he was released in October 2014.
Advertisement
Pyongyang is also believed to be holding at least three South Koreans.
