On Monday Tillerson said that the US holds "North Korea accountable for Otto Warmbier's unjust imprisonment", and demands the release of the three other Americans still being held by Pyongyang.
On Monday, less than a week after returning to the United States with severe brain damage, his family announced Warmbier had "completed his journey home". Warmbier died Monday, June 19, 2017, relatives said in a statement. North Korea released Warmbier last week and said he was being freed "on humanitarian grounds". One option is for Congress or the Trump administration to place new restrictions on Americans traveling to North Korea. John McCain said that Americans who are "stupid" enough to still want to visit North Korea should be required to sign a waiver absolving the USA government of any blame if they're harmed while there.
Tourism to North Korea - especially Western tourism - has risen significantly in recent years despite global tensions regarding the country's nuclear program.
Young Pioneer Tours, the travel company that took Otto Warmbier on a fateful trip to North Korea, will no longer take USA citizens into North Korea.
Doctors who examined Otto Warmbier after his release said there was no sign of botulism in his system.
The US government says North Korea is using such detainees as political pawns. "It's worth a forceful response". Three other USA citizens, including Kim, are still being held in North Korea. Two of them were teachers at a private school while the third person worked in a special economic zone in North Korea.
Mr Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years of hard labour for attempting to steal a propaganda sign from a hotel. During the meeting, Washington learned of Warmbier's condition.
The North claimed Warmbier fell into a coma soon after he was sentenced a year ago, saying he had contracted botulism and been given a sleeping pill.
Warmbier's family said they believed the student had found peace after being flown home.
Warmbier was medically evacuated from Pyongyang to the U.S. last week, after having suffered extensive brain damage that left him in a state of "unresponsive wakefulness".
Perez rubbishes talk of Manchester United deal for Morata
He told Spanish radio station Onda Cero (h/t the Mirror's Joe Mewis ): "The clause for Cristiano is £1 billion". Real Madrid striker, Cristiano Ronaldo will appear in court over his tax evasion charges on July 31.
"He (Warmbier) was tried in a kangaroo court, and the punishment was entirely disproportionate", the source in the North Korean tourism industry said.
In South Korea, recently elected President Moon Jae-in denounced North Korea for its "deplorable" lack of regard for human rights, "universal norms and values of humanity". Pyongyang has also vowed to develop a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the USA mainland. "That should never ever be allowed to happen", Trump said in the Oval Office. "You've got to capitalize on this, and influence their internal debates to get them to recognize and acknowledge what happened".
The young man's family has not revealed the cause of death but in a statement blasted the "awful torturous mistreatment" he endured while imprisoned. Outside groups say North Korea tortures thousands of its own citizens at prison camps.
Three other USA nationals are still being held by the Kim Jong-un administration.
Many other politicians and public figures have also expressed dismay and outrage.
Korean-Americans Tony Kim and Kim Hak Song, who worked at the foreign-funded Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, were recently detained for hostile acts against the government, according to North Korea's state media.
Although Gratton expressed doubts on Warmbier's charges, he maintained that even if Warmbier had meant to steal the propaganda banner, the ramifications for the act was disproportional. He said he was digging in fields eight hours a day and being kept in isolation, but that his health wasn't deteriorating.
Delury said the Trump administration may try to pressure China to cut its large numbers of tourists to North Korea until the North apologizes and releases the other Americans. North Korea had absolutely no "claim" on him, and therefore, no right to detain him like that. We relied on this false premise they would treat Otto fairly and let him go...
Share with Us - We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article, and smart, constructive criticism.
Comments