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| U-Va. student held in North Korea ‘confesses’ to severe crimes | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| TOKYO — The University of Virginia student detained in North Korea confessed, in a highly orchestrated press conference Monday, to the “very severe and pre-planned” crime of trying to steal a propaganda sign from a hotel in Pyongyang. | TOKYO — The University of Virginia student detained in North Korea confessed, in a highly orchestrated press conference Monday, to the “very severe and pre-planned” crime of trying to steal a propaganda sign from a hotel in Pyongyang. |
| Otto Warmbier, a 21-year-old economics major, had not been seen since he was arrested at Pyongyang airport on Jan. 2, at the end of a five-day tour to North Korea. But it wasn’t until three weeks later that Kim Jong Un’s regime announced it was holding the Ohio native for an unspecified “hostile act” against the state. | Otto Warmbier, a 21-year-old economics major, had not been seen since he was arrested at Pyongyang airport on Jan. 2, at the end of a five-day tour to North Korea. But it wasn’t until three weeks later that Kim Jong Un’s regime announced it was holding the Ohio native for an unspecified “hostile act” against the state. |
| In the meantime, North Korea has conducted a nuclear test and a long-range missile launch, inflaming tensions with the outside world. | In the meantime, North Korea has conducted a nuclear test and a long-range missile launch, inflaming tensions with the outside world. |
| Escorted by North Korean guards into a press conference in Pyongyang on Monday, Warmbier, reading from hand-written notes, said that he had tried to steal a political sign promoting “the [North] Korean people’s love for their system” from the hotel, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. | Escorted by North Korean guards into a press conference in Pyongyang on Monday, Warmbier, reading from hand-written notes, said that he had tried to steal a political sign promoting “the [North] Korean people’s love for their system” from the hotel, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. |
| [North Korea’s recipe for bargaining: Detainee, script, TV cameras] | [North Korea’s recipe for bargaining: Detainee, script, TV cameras] |
| “The aim of my task was to harm the motivation and work ethic of the Korean people. This was a very foolish aim,” Warmbier said after performing a deep, and rather clumsy, bow in front of the mainly North Korean reporters. He was wearing a beige jacket with a shirt and tie, and was clean shaven. He appeared to be in good health. | “The aim of my task was to harm the motivation and work ethic of the Korean people. This was a very foolish aim,” Warmbier said after performing a deep, and rather clumsy, bow in front of the mainly North Korean reporters. He was wearing a beige jacket with a shirt and tie, and was clean shaven. He appeared to be in good health. |
| Previous Americans who have been detained in North Korea have also been brought out to the press to “confess” their crimes, with the detainees told what to say and the reporters told what to ask. | Previous Americans who have been detained in North Korea have also been brought out to the press to “confess” their crimes, with the detainees told what to say and the reporters told what to ask. |
| Analysts expect that Warmbier was also directed in this way to deliver Monday’s bizarre statement, in which the student said he was impressed by North Korea’s “humanitarian treatment of severe criminals like myself.” | Analysts expect that Warmbier was also directed in this way to deliver Monday’s bizarre statement, in which the student said he was impressed by North Korea’s “humanitarian treatment of severe criminals like myself.” |
| In his appearance before the media, Warmbier said he had been instructed by a female member of Friendship United Methodist Church in Ohio to steal one of North Korea’s ubiquitous propaganda signs and take it back to the United States as a “trophy.” | In his appearance before the media, Warmbier said he had been instructed by a female member of Friendship United Methodist Church in Ohio to steal one of North Korea’s ubiquitous propaganda signs and take it back to the United States as a “trophy.” |
| All across North Korea, from factories and government offices to hillsides and intersections, there are propangandistic slogans lauding the ruling Kim regime, which maintains power through an all-encompassing personality cult. Speaking ill of the Kims — or even folding a newspaper so the leader’s face is halved — is treasonous. | All across North Korea, from factories and government offices to hillsides and intersections, there are propangandistic slogans lauding the ruling Kim regime, which maintains power through an all-encompassing personality cult. Speaking ill of the Kims — or even folding a newspaper so the leader’s face is halved — is treasonous. |
| Taking the banner would “harm the unity and motivation of the North Korean people and show this country an insult from the West,” Warmbier said, adding that the plan had the U.S. government’s approval. | Taking the banner would “harm the unity and motivation of the North Korean people and show this country an insult from the West,” Warmbier said, adding that the plan had the U.S. government’s approval. |
| [After nuclear test, Park has epiphanies on North Korea — and China] | [After nuclear test, Park has epiphanies on North Korea — and China] |
| The church member would give him a used car worth $10,000 if he stole the sign, and would pay $200,000 to his mother if he was arrested in the process, according to the KCNA report. | The church member would give him a used car worth $10,000 if he stole the sign, and would pay $200,000 to his mother if he was arrested in the process, according to the KCNA report. |
| Warmbier said his family’s “very severe financial difficulties” made him do it. “I started to consider this as my only golden opportunity to earn money,” he said, adding that his family would not be paid if he mentioned the church’s involvement. | Warmbier said his family’s “very severe financial difficulties” made him do it. “I started to consider this as my only golden opportunity to earn money,” he said, adding that his family would not be paid if he mentioned the church’s involvement. |
| CNN, which said it had a copy of a video of the press conference, said that Warmbier sobbed and pleaded for forgiveness. | CNN, which said it had a copy of a video of the press conference, said that Warmbier sobbed and pleaded for forgiveness. |
| “I never, never should have allowed myself to be lured by the United States administration to commit a crime in this country,” the student said, according to CNN. “I wish that the United States administration never manipulate people like myself in the future to commit crimes against foreign countries. I entirely beg you, the people and government of the DPRK, for your forgiveness,” he said, using the official acronym for North Korea. | “I never, never should have allowed myself to be lured by the United States administration to commit a crime in this country,” the student said, according to CNN. “I wish that the United States administration never manipulate people like myself in the future to commit crimes against foreign countries. I entirely beg you, the people and government of the DPRK, for your forgiveness,” he said, using the official acronym for North Korea. |
| [When it comes to punishing North Korea, it’s Groundhog Day] | [When it comes to punishing North Korea, it’s Groundhog Day] |
| The slogan was on a staff-only floor of the Yanggakdo hotel, which is called “Alcatraz” by regular foreign visitors because it is situated on an island in the river that runs through Pyongyang and impossible to get off without detection. He reportedly pulled the banner from the wall but realized it was too big to carry off, so abandoned it there. | The slogan was on a staff-only floor of the Yanggakdo hotel, which is called “Alcatraz” by regular foreign visitors because it is situated on an island in the river that runs through Pyongyang and impossible to get off without detection. He reportedly pulled the banner from the wall but realized it was too big to carry off, so abandoned it there. |
| Warmbier was on a trip organized by Young Pioneers Tours, one of a handful of travel companies that takes adventurous tourists into North Korea. | Warmbier was on a trip organized by Young Pioneers Tours, one of a handful of travel companies that takes adventurous tourists into North Korea. |
| The U.S. government, which does not have diplomatic relations with North Korea and is instead represented there by the Swedish embassy, advises Americans against travel to North Korea, partly because of the risk of detention. | The U.S. government, which does not have diplomatic relations with North Korea and is instead represented there by the Swedish embassy, advises Americans against travel to North Korea, partly because of the risk of detention. |
| Several United States citizens have been held in Pyongyang in recent years, usually because of activities relating to Christianity, and have only been released after high-profile interventions. | Several United States citizens have been held in Pyongyang in recent years, usually because of activities relating to Christianity, and have only been released after high-profile interventions. |
| Former president Bill Clinton went to Pyongyang to secure the release of journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee in 2009, while Jimmy Carter traveled to the North Korean capital the following year to collect Aijalon Gomes, a Boston man who entered the country illegally. | Former president Bill Clinton went to Pyongyang to secure the release of journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee in 2009, while Jimmy Carter traveled to the North Korean capital the following year to collect Aijalon Gomes, a Boston man who entered the country illegally. |
| More recently, James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, went to Pyongyang in 2014 to free three Americans being held, two of them for Christianity-related “crimes.” In North Korea, where the Kim family is treated like deities, religion is banned. | More recently, James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, went to Pyongyang in 2014 to free three Americans being held, two of them for Christianity-related “crimes.” In North Korea, where the Kim family is treated like deities, religion is banned. |
| The voyages of the Dawnlight: Where is it headed? And what is it carrying? | The voyages of the Dawnlight: Where is it headed? And what is it carrying? |
| U.S. calls proposed sanctions on N. Korea a ‘major upgrade’ | U.S. calls proposed sanctions on N. Korea a ‘major upgrade’ |
| China, U.S. cite progress on N. Korea sanctions deal. But there’s no quick fix. | China, U.S. cite progress on N. Korea sanctions deal. But there’s no quick fix. |