Anger Over Death of Otto Warmbier Sparks Travel Ban for North Korea

With the death of Otto Warmbier on Monday, Americans and officials alike have become infuriated by the incident, calling his death a “murder”.  Detained for almost a year and a half, Warmbier was returned from North Korea to the United States in the state of a coma—the exact cause of this coma is unknown, although the North Koreans claim that it was prompted by “botulism and a sleeping pill.”

Neither his parents, Fred and Cindy Warmbier, nor the United States government believe such words from the North Korean regime.  Warmbier died less than a week after his return to the States.

The Warmbier family stated on Tuesday that Otto will be laid to rest in Ohio on Thursday morning—lawmakers are currently pushing for the idea of banning American travel to Pyongyang as a first step to alleviate the loss.  Officials from the Trump administration mourn the loss of the American student, but have not yet decided on the next measure to take.

State Department spokesman Heather Nauert said, “We hold North Korea accountable for Otto Warmbier’s unjust imprisonment.  We’re still considering our options.  We have a great deal of resolve to try to handle the situation and try to hold North Korea responsible for the death of Mr. Warmbier and bring back those three Americans who do remain there.”

Trump adds by tweeting, “The U.S. once again condemns the brutality of the North Korean regime as we mourn its latest victim.”  Many actions against North Korea in the past have included sanctions against businesses and officials, but lawmakers believe that heavier punishments must be inflicted on the regime.  Lawmakers and analysts say for instance that the next step must be sanctioning Chinese companies that work with North Korea.

Democratic and Republican officials also agree that travel to North Korea should be banned.  Senator Bob Corker proposed that, “Examining the travel implications and the fact that Americans do end up caught up in this situation, and should there be a travel ban for U.S. citizens going there relative to this?  That’s something we’re looking at… We have to figure out whether it’s best to allow people to do that, and then end up in a situation where we’re doing everything we can as a nation to get them out.”

As Americans all around the country continue to mourn the loss of Otto Warmbier, it seems that Otto’s parents have come to terms with the incident.  Feeling bittersweet about their son’s return and his apparent death, they say, “Unfortunately, the awful torturous mistreatment our son received at the hands of the North Koreans ensured that no other outcome was possible beyond the sad one we experienced.”  To ensure that no other similar incident can occur like that of Otto’s, the White House will continue to debate on whether sanctions and travel bans will be instilled against the Kim Jong-un regime.

Featured Image via Flickr/Gage Skidmore