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North Korea says it has arrested a Virginia student for ‘hostile acts’ North Korea says it has arrested a Virginia student for ‘hostile acts’
(about 3 hours later)
TOKYO — North Korea said Friday it had arrested a university student from Virginia for committing “hostile acts” against the state, making him the third foreigner being held by Kim Jong Un’s regime. TOKYO — North Korea said Friday it had arrested a University of Virginia student, accusing the American of unspecified “hostile acts” against the state with "the tacit connivance of the U.S. government."
The student, who arrived on a tourist visa, was being questioned by North Korean officials after taking part in “anti-state activity,” the official Korean Central News Agency said in a short statement Friday. Otto Frederick Warmbier, 21, was detained on Jan. 2 at Pyongyang airport as he prepared to leave the country after a five-day trip over New Year’s Eve, said Gareth Johnson of Young Pioneer Tours, the agency that organized the trip.
KCNA identified the student as Otto Frederick Warmbier, a student at the University of Virginia. The University of Virginia’s online student directory lists Otto Frederick Warmbier, from Cincinnati, Ohio, as an undergraduate commerce student. This was four days before North Korea conducted a nuclear test, and makes Warmbier the third Westerner known to be held in North Korea.
But his detention was not made public until Friday, when the official Korean Central News Agency said it had detained the student and was questioning him about taking part in “anti-state activity.”
The brief statement gave no details about the accusations or the current status of the student.
Warmbier, it added, "was arrested while perpetrating a hostile act against the DPRK after entering it under the guise of tourist for the purpose of bringing down the foundation of its single-minded unity at the tacit connivance of the U.S. government and under its ma­nipu­la­tion.”
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North Korea said Warmbier “was arrested while perpetrating a hostile act against the DPRK after entering it under the guise of tourist for the purpose of bringing down the foundation of its single-minded unity at the tacit connivance of the U.S. government and under its manipulation.” The University of Virginia’s online student directory lists Warmbier, from Cincinnati, Ohio, as an undergraduate commerce student. Warmbier's Facebook page shows him driving a vintage car in Havana last May. His most recent profile photo — posing with a cow — “captures my compassion for animals, worldly travels, and designer sunglasses," he wrote.
Young Pioneers, a tourism company marketing itself as the budget option for traveling to North Korea, confirmed that Warmbier was on one of its tours. Young Pioneers, one of the handful of tour companies that operate in North Korea, acknowledged that Warmbier was on one of its tours.
“We can confirm that the reports that one of our clients is being detained in Pyongyang are true,” Young Pioneers said in a statement. “We can confirm that the reports that one of our clients is being detained in Pyongyang are true,” said a statement from the company, which specialized in budget travel.
“Their family have been informed and we are in contact with the Swedish Embassy, (who act as the protecting interest for U.S citizens), who are working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the case. We are also assisting the U.S Department of State closely with regards to the situation.” “Their family have been informed and we are in contact with the Swedish Embassy . . . who are working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the case,” it continued. “We are also assisting the U.S Department of State closely with regards to the situation.”
Sweden represents American diplomatic interests in North Korea in the absence of direct ties with the United States.
In Washington, the State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said officials were aware of media reports that a U.S. citizen was detained in North Korea.
“The welfare of U.S. citizens is one of the Department’s highest priorities,” he said, adding that the Swedish embassy was helping. “We have no further information to share due to privacy considerations.”
Johnson, the tour group spokesman, declined to comment on the reasons for Warmbier's detention. A spokesman for the University of Virginia said representatives had been in touch with Warmbier's family and had no additional comment.
The detention coincides with a period of heightened tensions between Washington and Pyongyang.
Earlier this month, North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test, sparking international condemnation and leading to efforts to impose new sanctions on the regime. The latest arrest will stoke speculation that Pyongyang wants to use the detainees as bargaining chips to water down the punishment for that test.
The Korean Peninsula has been in a technical state of war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, and some 28,500 American troops are stationed in South Korea.
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Warmbier, 21, was in North Korea for a five-day trip over New Year’s. He was detained at Pyongyang airport on Jan. 2 before a flight back to China, said Gareth Johnson of Young Pioneer Tours. In recent years, North Korea has taken a number of Americans into custody, often for activities related to spreading Christianity and often only releasing them when a high-profile dignitary visits Pyongyang.
On the frequently asked questions on its Web site, Young Pioneers answers a question about safety in North Korea by saying: “Extremely safe!” "We don't have enough information about this case, but it's always a risk for any U.S. citizen to go to North Korea," said John Delury, an American international relations expert who teaches at Yonsei University in Seoul. "You have to be careful in a way that we wouldn't think of as normal."
In earlier messages, the U.S. State Department has warned that “U.S. citizens have been subject to arrest and long-term detention for actions that would not be cause for arrest in the United States or other countries." Being on a tour does not make visiting safer, the advisory says.
But in the frequently asked questions on its website, Young Pioneers answers a question about safety in North Korea by saying: “Extremely safe!”
“Despite what you may hear, North Korea is probably one of the safest places on Earth to visit. Tourism is very welcomed in North Korea, thus tourists are cherished and well taken care of,” the travel agency says.“Despite what you may hear, North Korea is probably one of the safest places on Earth to visit. Tourism is very welcomed in North Korea, thus tourists are cherished and well taken care of,” the travel agency says.
“We have never felt suspicious or threatened at any time. In fact, North Koreans are super friendly and accommodating, if you let them into your world. Even during tense political moments tourism to the DPRK is never affected,” the site said.“We have never felt suspicious or threatened at any time. In fact, North Koreans are super friendly and accommodating, if you let them into your world. Even during tense political moments tourism to the DPRK is never affected,” the site said.
But the U.S. State Department strongly advises against travel to North Korea. North Korea, which is trying to promote tourism partly as a way to earn foreign currency, dramatically eased restrictions on American tourists in 2008, allowing for more Americans to visit at more times of the year.
Earlier this month, North Korea presented to CNN a man who identified himself as Kim Dong Chul and said he was a naturalized American citizen who used to live in Fairfax, Virginia. "I'm asking the U.S. or South Korean government to rescue me," Kim, 62, told the network.
Separately, North Korea convicted Lim Hyeon-soo, a 60-year-old South Korea-born pastor from Toronto, of committing “activities against” North Korea and sentenced him to life serving hard labor.
Earlier this month, North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test, sparking international condemnation and leading to efforts to impose new sanctions on the regime.
The latest arrest will stoke speculation that Pyongyang wants to use the detainees as bargaining chips to water down the punishment for that test.
The Korean Peninsula has been in a technical state of war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Some 28,500 American troops are stationed in South Korea.
[North Korea’s leader marks birthday with a bang][North Korea’s leader marks birthday with a bang]
In recent years, North Korea has taken a number of Americans into custody, usually for activities related to Christianity. But as the number of tourists into the isolated state has increased, so too have the number of problems.
Jeffrey Fowle, a 56-year-old public worker from Ohio spent five months in North Korean detention after leaving a Bible in a restroom at a seamen’s club in the northeastern city of Chongjin. He was released in October 2014 under “special dispensation” of Kim Jong Un, after negotiations involving Bill Richardson, a former American ambassador to the United Nations with a history of dealing with North Korea. Merrill Newman, an 85-year-old Korean War veteran, was detained at the end of a tour in 2014 and held for more than a month on charges of committing war crimes. It transpired that Newman had talked about his service and expressed a desire to meet relatives of the anti-Communist soldiers he had helped train.
The following month, two other Americans were released when James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, went to Pyongyang. Matthew Miller and Kenneth Bae had both been serving multi-year sentences in North Korean labor camps. Also that year, North Korea held Jeffrey Fowle, a 56-year-old public worker from Ohio, for five months after he left a Bible in a restroom at a seamen’s club in the northeastern city of Chongjin. He was released in October 2014 under “special dispensation” of Kim Jong Un, after negotiations involving Bill Richardson, a former American ambassador to the United Nations with a history of dealing with North Korea.
Miller, from Bakersfield, Calif., had been convicted in a 90-minute trial on charges of committing “hostile acts” against the authoritarian North Korean government after ripping up his tourist visa shortly upon arrival. The following month, two other Americans were released when James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, went to Pyongyang. Matthew Miller, a tourist who ripped up his visa upon arrival in Pyongyang, and Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American missionary, had both been serving multi-year sentences in North Korean labor camps.
Bae, a Korean-American missionary from Lynnwood, Wash., had been given a 15-year sentence for “anti-government activities” after being detained in 2012 while leading a tour group in North Korea. North Korea is currently thought to be holding two western citizens.
Justin Moyer contributed to this report from Washington. One is a man who identified himself as Kim Dong Chul and said he was a naturalized American citizen who used to live in Fairfax, Va., when he was presented to CNN earlier this month. "I'm asking the U.S. or South Korean government to rescue me," Kim, 62, told the network.
The other is Lim Hyeon-soo, a 60-year-old South Korea-born pastor from Toronto, who has been convicted of committing “activities against” North Korea and sentenced to life serving hard labor.
Justin Moyer, Anne Gearan, T. Rees Shapiro in Washington, and Carol Morello in Davos, Switzerland, contributed to this report.