Otto Warmbier Dies After Release from North Korean Sentence

On Monday, June 19, Otto Warmbier, the American who was detained by the North Koreans for nearly a year and a half, died after his return to the United States.  Upon his return to the States, he was received in a state of a coma.  The exact cause of this induced state is unknown, although the North Koreans claim that the coma was caused by “botulism and a sleeping pill.”  Warmbier, who died at 22, was medically evacuated last week to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.  His parents, Fred and Cindy Warmbier, did not identify the cause of his death.

Warmbier, who was arrested by the North Koreans in January of 2016, was on a tour visit at the time; he was on his way to a study-abroad semester in Hong Kong.  Warmbier allegedly took down a propaganda poster of the North Korean regime in his hotel, and was promptly convicted.  Charged with “hostile acts against the state,” he was sentenced to 15 years in prison with harsh labor.

Fred and Cindy Warmbier wrote in a statement that the condemn North Korea for their actions.  They wrote, “Unfortunately, the awful torturous mistreatment out son received at the hands of the North Koreans ensured that no other outcome was possible beyond the sad one we experienced today.”  Although deeply saddened by the passing of their son, the Warmbiers are also grateful that their son had made his way home.  A bittersweet feeling, the Warmbiers will never forget this incident but are ready to heal and move on.

President Trump, offering his condolences in this hard time, says in a statement, “There is nothing more tragic for a parent than to lose a child in the prime of life.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Otto’s family and friends, and all who loved him.  Otto’s fate deepens my Administration’s determination to prevent such tragedies from befalling innocent people at the hands of regimes that do not respect the rule of law or basic human decency.  The United States once again condemns the brutality of the North Korean regime as we mourn its latest victim.”

This incident not only reflects the brutality that North Korea inflicts on foreign prisoners, but on its own citizens as well.  The death of Warmbier simply puts such tension between the United States and North Korea on a higher line.  Senator John McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, notes that, “Otto Warmbier, an American citizen, was murdered by the Kim Jong-un regime.  In the final year of his life, he lived the nightmare in which the North Korean people have been trapped for 70 years: forced labor, mass starvation, systematic cruelty, torture, and murder.”

As the Warmbier family heals from their loss, the United States continues to plan actions against North Korea, condemning their brutality.  Their poor treatments inflicted against foreign prisoners and North Korean citizens will not go unanswered.

Featured Image via Flickr/Uri Tours