US citizen Otto Warmbier dies after being released by North Korea

[WhiskeyGrinder]

http://abc7.com/news/us-citizen-otto-warmbier-dies-after-being-released-by-north-korea/2119333/

Otto Warmbier, an American college student who was imprisoned in North Korea and returned to his home state of Ohio in a coma last week, has died, his family said.

Last Thursday, a University of Cincinnati Medical Center spokesman said Warmbier had suffered a severe neurological injury and was in stable condition.

In its first official comment since Warmbier was returned home, North Korea said it released him for humanitarian reasons. The state-run Korean Central News Agency on Thursday did not comment on his medical condition.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

1. What a monstrous regime.

[spanone]

2. very sad. poor family.

[catbyte]

3. I wonder how soon it'll take that orange horror to tweet another cheap, despicable shot at

Obama like he did when NK released him. How horrific. I feel so bad for his family.

[onecent]

4. This is very sad. All he did was take a thing off the door

to take it back to America. North Korean WHATEVER HIS NAME IS can just go to hell.

People are so damn mean and like to cause pain.

[NightWatcher]

6. It's why you should not visit or deface State property there

It was terminally naive of him.

I'm sorry for his family.

[onecent]

7. I"M aware of that....but it's NOT something you would give someone 15 years for working

every day of your life. I think people should stay away from there. PERIOD!

[NightWatcher]

8. You should not be allowed to visit an enemy, which NK is

[lunasun]

10. The Department of State strongly warns U.S. citizens not to travel to North Korea

DPRK). U.S. citizens in the DPRK are at serious risk of arrest and long-term detention under North Korea’s system of law enforcement. This system imposes unduly harsh sentences for actions that would not be considered crimes in the United States and threatens U.S. citizen detainees with being treated in accordance with “wartime law of the DPRK.”

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings/north-korea-travel-warning.html

[Blue_Tires]

12. The odd part is he was spending the school year in China

so you'd think he was well aware of how touchy they get over those kinds of things... Especially when it's an opportunity to make an example of an American...

[MosheFeingold]

14. No, it's why

One should never, ever, consider going there.

You're just a potential hostage. No reason, needed.

[femmedem]

19. He might not have even taken tried to take the poster.

His roommate on the trip doesn't think so. http://www.insideedition.com/headlines/23984-was-otto-warmbier-set-up-roommate-doesnt-believe-us-student-did-anything-wrong

[Ilsa]

26. I think there was video. nt

[LisaL]

27. I don't see how someone could tell identity of the person from that video.

[Ilsa]

29. You're right; it was probably staged, not him. nt

[LisaL]

30. Well, I am not saying that it was staged.

I am saying, from the video I saw, I wouldn't be able to ID the person except it did look like a tall male. Did they find the poster in his possessions?

[Ilsa]

33. Unknown. The roommate saw him for the last time when the DPRK police picked him up. NT

[janterry]

5. so sad

I'm glad that his family was able to be with him, though.

[Not Ruth]

9. Yes to all

[samnsara]

11. so sad :(

[Blue_Tires]

13. Guess that explains why the North Koreans were so quick to release him...

Couldn't have him dying in their custody...

[renegade000]

16. Yeah, I think that has more to do with it than the Trump admin's "superior" efforts...

Sadly

[bdjhawk]

38. Absolutely

the only reason he was released is so he didn't die in NK. If his condition had become this serious last year, they would have released him then under the Obama administration. Had nothing to do with the orange micro-weenie in the WH, even though he desperately wants to take credit for it. At some point, I believe the parents will realize this, as well.

[Blue_Tires]

39. I'm pretty sure Trump didn't know who Warmbier even was

until the North Korean diplomats came calling...

[Gothmog]

15. May he rest in peace

[leftyladyfrommo]

17. Such a sad, sad story.

No American citizens should be allowed to travel to NK.

Did NK actually have proof he took the poster or did he just allegedly take it? I think he admitted to it but that means nothing.

[tenderfoot]

18. How is his treatment by the North Korean government any different than Police Depts. in the USA?

He could have gotten pulled over and ended up in a coma, eventually dying.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

25. State violence is contemptible no matter the state.

But you knew that.

[tenderfoot]

28. LOL

USA USA USA.

LOL.

[bresue]

20. I hate to say this...but either us or China needs to go in and clean house in NK

if China does not want a unified Korean, than go in and install a puppet government.

[Voltaire2]

35. 100,000 or more casultied in Seoul in the first

24 hours from NK conventional forces. We don't know what their nuclear capabilities are.

[JSup]

21. What a painful decision...

...the family had to make.

My best friend and roommate of 23 years died in front of me on April 23rd; it took the EMTs 19 minutes to get his heart going again. He was in a state of 'unresponsive wakefulness' and his mother had to make the decision to remove the breathing tubes and what was left of him suffocated to death in front of me, his mother and some friends on April 25th. Today would have been his 46th birthday.

I feel for this family.

[Metatron]

22. I am so sorry for your loss

My best to you and his family during this difficult time.

[JSup]

23. Thank you, but...

...I was more trying to show why I empathized with this family rather than to refocus the sorrow in my direction.

Even though my attempts at C and P and R (<-- trigger acronym, even have to leave the room if it happens on tv) failed, at least I have the knowledge that he didn't die (the first time and the second time) without the company of someone he loved.

Whereas poor Otto... his last time of conscious thought wasn't near anyone he loved or anywhere near home.

[LisaL]

24. He was not on a respirator.

[Glimmer of Hope]

31. This is just so awful but I hesitate to blame Otto for wanting to go to North Korea.

Tours to North Korea are still around and I can see how someone who is adventurous could be enticed to go. I am all for interacting with countries like Iran to bridge differences but these tours to North Korea need to be shut down.

http://www.responsibletravel.com/holiday/18000/north-korea-highlights-and-walking-tour

[shenmue]

32. Poor kid

[Bear Creek]

34. Out of Control

China wants them under their wing. China needs to take responsibility. I'm sure some of the crap we buy that says made in China is from North Korea. Apple, Walmart and other companies need to put pressure on China. Killing a student for taking a poster. The missiles they have been lobbing is going to end up hitting South Korea or Japan.

[Voltaire2]

36. Sandra Bland.

Please explain the substantive difference between how our government treated Sandra Bland and how the North Korean government treated Otto Warmbier.

[Xolodno]

37. The fat fuck was sending a message.

From day one they had every intention to eventually send him home, but at minimum badly disfigured and permanently handicapped. We won't negotiate, and when I say that, I mean pay the ransom for other Americans they "detain". Add to that, we continue to put the squeeze on them economically.

With that said, no one should visit NK under any circumstances. You are taking chances with your life and that should be hammered non-stop. Tour operators who say its "safe" should be sued to oblivion and makes them very nervous about their assets held by any bank that happens to also operate in the US.