Ever wonder what happens when the world’s most oppressive country gets its hands on an “enemy” citizen? Presumably not very good things, right? Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to Otto Warmbier, a 21-year-old kid who decided to give North Korea a chance and ended up paying the ultimate price. This is his story.
Meet Otto Warmbier
Otto Warmbier was just an average kid from Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up getting along with pretty much anyone. He was always a popular kid at school and he was described as a bright student, too. One thing Otto was always interested in was exploring the world, that’s why he decided to enroll in a foreign exchange program in college so he could see more of the world.
A Strange Pitstop
Sometime around 2015, Otto was supposed to go to Hong Kong on a study-abroad program. But before he could get there, he decided to add a pit stop to his journey. He came across a company called “Young Pioneer Tours” that was organizing tours of North Korea, the hermit kingdom itself.
Entering North Korea
Otto was curious about what life in North Korea would be like. He wanted to meet North Korean people and explore their country. The tour company he used was based in China, where he had to travel first since there were no direct flights from the US to North Korea, but the company made it almost seamless. Eventually, on December 29, 2015, Otto, along with 10 other Americans in his group, hopped on a flight from Beijing to Pyongyang and made it there without any issues.
A Fun Trip?
The tour was supposed to last three days, with the group spending New Year’s Eve in the country. Otto actually had quite a lot of fun during his tour, throwing snowballs with North Korean kids and celebrating New Year’s in the heart of Pyongyang with plenty of drinks. Young Pioneer Tours advertised the tour as completely safe, and so far, it seemed like it.
A Silly Mistake
Even though Otto was probably nervous visiting North Korea – as anyone would’ve been – he eventually eased into his three-day home. But during New Year’s Day, around 2 AM, he got a bit too comfortable. While he was a bit drunk, he decided to rip a propaganda poster off the wall in a restricted area of his hotel. He probably wanted to take the poster home as a souvenir, but he had no idea how big of a mistake he had made.
Arrested By The Enemy
A day later, Otto and the rest of his group were set to depart from North Korea and go about their way. But while the group was awaiting their flight, two armed men showed up and escorted Otto out of the airport without uttering a single word. Otto had no idea what was going on, and the gravity of the situation wouldn’t hit him until much later.
No Word On Otto
After being “escorted” by the armed North Korean men, no one in Otto’s group was able to get into contact with him. The group boarded the plane without him, where a North Korean official eventually showed up and told them that their friend was “very sick” and would be staying in the hospital for a few days. Ultimately, the group departed without Otto.
Making National News
Before either the tour company or his family could get any information about his whereabouts, Otto Warmbier suddenly made the national news in North Korea. State-sanctioned news outlets boasted about an “American spy” being detained for committing “hostile” acts against North Korea. They never actually revealed what the crime was.
Forced Confession
Almost two months after the news of his arrest was made public, the world finally saw Otto Warmbier again. During a press conference held by the North Korean state police, he was seen tearfully confessing to his “crimes”. His confession was read off a piece of paper, where he described the events of stealing the propaganda poster, a severe crime under North Korean law.
The Trial
Otto’s crime was considered so serious that it actually went to trial in North Korea’s Supreme Court. He was allegedly coerced into saying he was told to steal the poster in exchange for a car back in the US, and that it was the “worst mistake of his life”. His cries fell on deaf ears, though, as he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor.
An International Incident
The news of an American citizen being detained in North Korea spread like wildfire, and after the sentencing, it only became bigger. The US government was pulling no stops in trying to convince North Korea to release the young man. The President himself started to receive regular updates on Otto Warmbier.
Hard Labor
What conditions Otto was kept in during his time in prison was kept a close secret by North Korea, but it clearly wasn’t a place you’d want even your worst enemy in. North Korean labor camps are described as a places where abuse, torture, extrajudicial murder, and starvation run rampant. Otto’s status as an enemy captive probably meant conditions for him were even worse.
No Contact
The US government tried every play in the book to get into contact with Warmbier. However, DPRK officials were highly secretive about Otto Warmbier, even more so than they were with other American captives held inside North Korea. It was clear to anyone that the North Koreans were trying to hide something.
Otto’s Condition
After a few meetings between North Korean and American officials, US State Department Special Representative Joseph Yun was finally given a real update on the missing American in June 2017. DPRK representatives told him that Otto Warmbier was suffering from a “medical condition” that they would not disclose, and that he was currently in a hospital.
Breaking Diplomatic Norms
Otto’s family was informed of his condition a week after the meeting, and at this point, it became a pressing matter that the President could no longer ignore. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ordered Joseph Yun to make a rare visit to North Korea itself and bring the captive American back to his home country.
The Rescue Mission
On June 12, 2017, an American delegation led by Joseph Yun landed in North Korea. After meeting with North Korean officials, Yun demanded that Warmbier be handed over to the United States, who had a special medical plane waiting for him at Pyongyang airport. After being pressed by the United States, North Korea had no option but to release him.
The Special Plane
Otto Warmbier was transported to the special medical plane a day after the US delegation’s visit, and it was then that everyone realized things were far worse than they seemed. Otto was confined to his hospital bed for the entire trip, and as soon as he landed in Cincinnati, he had to immediately be transported to a hospital to receive full-time medical care.
A Broken Man
Medical examiners were told Otto had been in a coma for almost a year while he was imprisoned in North Korea. When he returned home, he was awake but almost completely nonverbal. He would not respond to his friends or family members and always seemed like he was scared and uncomfortable. Scans done in North Korea itself showed signs of brain damage.
Worsening Condition
Otto’s condition did not improve with time even though he was receiving the best medical care possible. He was not able to eat by himself either and had to be fed through a feeding tube. His condition was so bad that the only thing keeping him alive at the time was 24/7 medical attention taking care of every aspect of his living.
Otto’s End
On June 19, 2017, just 6 days after returning to the United States, Otto’s parents realized that their son was only continuing to suffer when being kept alive by the hospital and requested that his feeding tubes be removed. He died later that day and was mourned all over the nation, including by the President.
North Korea’s Response
In response to Otto’s tragic death, the North Korean government didn’t exactly show remorse for their actions. In fact, it said that North Korea was the true victim of all of this. Officials stated that they were doing Warmbier a humanitarian favor by providing him with medical support and that North Korea was unfairly smeared by the media during the whole situation.
The Designation
North Korea faced some serious repercussions as a direct result of its treatment of Otto Warmbier. The US designated North Korea as an official state-sponsor of terror which makes it impossible for almost any country to do business with the country. The State Department also updated its travel advisory warning US citizens to avoid all travel to North Korea.
The Lawsuit
Thanks to the designation of North Korea as a state sponsor of terror, Otto Warmbier’s parents were able to file a lawsuit against the government of North Korea for the wrongful death of their son. The federal district court in Washington, D.C. found North Korea guilty and ordered it to pay $501 million in damages to the family.
While it’s unlikely that North Korea will ever directly pay the fine, the Warmbiers will be able to lay a claim on any North Korean assets seized by the United States. On top of that, they will receive support from a special fund created by Congress to help victims of state sponsors of terror.
Otto Warmbier Won’t Be Forgotten
It’s tragic how something that would be seen as a petty crime in 99% of the world would lead to the judicial murder of such a bright young man. It really goes to show that you should always take travel advisories seriously and not trust random travel agencies. In the end, the North Korean government ended up having to face a greater diplomatic headache than they could’ve ever imagined when they arrested Warmbier in a “show of strength”. Let’s just hope it deters them from doing it again in the future.