California man pulled off plane in North Korea, detained, son says
By Chelsea J. Carter, CNN

(CNN) -- An 85-year-old American man on an organized tour of North Korea was pulled off a departing plane in Pyongyang just minutes before it was to depart, the man's son told CNN on Wednesday.

The family has had no contact with Merrill Newman of Palo Alto, California, since he was detained on October 26, Jeff Newman said.

"This is a misunderstanding. My father is a (Korean War) veteran and wanted to see the country and culture he has been interested in for years," Newman said.

"He arranged this with a travel agent that was recommended and said was approved by the North Korean government for travel of foreigners. He had all the proper visas." [read more...]

Full story: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/20/world/asia/north-korea-detained-american/index.html

-- CNN 2013-11-21

Since the war has never officially ended, I wonder if he will be considered a prisoner of war.

Since the war has never officially ended, I wonder if he will be considered a prisoner of war.

Or maybe he wanted for war crimes?

Strange.....must be more to the story.

They just want Rodman to come and take him home. Not getting enough attention recently.

I do not understand why this man even wanted to go to NC. The war is not over and this old man talked about his role while there as a soldier. I don't understand why a US stupid sports star ended up there with the fat pig boy leader. I don't understand why American religious preachers go there. They are stupid and arrogant but I hope the old man gets home to his upper-middle class life style because of his age and learns a lesson.

North Korea...hungry again?

Here we go again with attention seeking N. Korea

Must need another pay off from Uncle Sam.

Dennis Rodman will be along shortly . . .

Dennis Rodman will be along shortly . . .

send a B-52 and teach that childish leader and his Generals a lesson they will NEVER forget !

Dennis Rodman will be along shortly . . .

send a B-52 and teach that childish leader and his Generals a lesson they will NEVER forget !

Perhaps Dennis Rodman will propose swapping himself as a prisoner instead of the 85-year-old.

A fair definition of a win-win situation.

Perhaps Dennis Rodman will propose swapping himself as a prisoner instead of the 85-year-old.

A fair definition of a win-win situation.

Wondered if Rodman might find himself on the receiving end at some point and be denied exit.

Perhaps one day Kim won't want his friend to go home.

Dennis Rodman will be along shortly . . .

send a B-52 and teach that childish leader and his Generals a lesson they will NEVER forget !

Yeah, that attitude has made this world such a peaceful place.

Any one from US visiting NK would seem to be taking a large risk. This was apparently compounded by him telling officials about him fighting in Korean War.

-----

The day before Newman was detained on Oct. 26, he met with North Korean officials and discussed his service in the Korean War 50 years ago, his son told the San Jose Mercury News.

"There's some misunderstanding here, a terrible misunderstanding, and my father has always had a deep respect for the Korean culture and the Korean people," he told the newspaper.

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/21/21558994-korean-war-vet-removed-from-plane-and-detained-in-north-korea-son?lite

Now a pawn in a bigger game played on one side by a lunatic.

Now a pawn in a bigger game played on one side by a lunatic.

Yeah, but what about Kim Jong Il?

Dennis Rodman will be along shortly . . .

send a B-52 and teach that childish leader and his Generals a lesson they will NEVER forget !

Yes a war between the US and China, just what's needed.

A troll post has been removed.

I do not understand why this man even wanted to go to NC. The war is not over and this old man talked about his role while there as a soldier. I don't understand why a US stupid sports star ended up there with the fat pig boy leader. I don't understand why American religious preachers go there. They are stupid and arrogant but I hope the old man gets home to his upper-middle class life style because of his age and learns a lesson.

I kind of agree. If he is being used as another pawn which seems likely, I wouldn't want the U.S. government to give up anything for him. He chose to go there to an enemy state of the USA and he knew the risks. Hopefully another good warning to other Americans -- don't go there! Period.

Edited November 21, 201312 yr by Jingthing

He would have had a blast in Hanoi! Too bad he didn't go there and just SAY he had been to NK ...

He's 85. Perhaps he thought he'd booked a flight to South Korea and got off the aeroplane telling them all about how he fought the North?

Seriously, could be!

Edited November 21, 201312 yr by MJP

Doubtful but if he was really interested in NK he could have visited South Korea and met some of the many North Korean escapees living there.

Doubtful but if he was really interested in NK he could have visited South Korea and met some of the many North Korean escapees living there.

Stranger things have happened.

I once booked a flight to Havana, Cuba and ended up in West Bromwich.

He only has to give them his serial number. I hope he remembers it.

I do not understand why this man even wanted to go to NC. The war is not over and this old man talked about his role while there as a soldier. I don't understand why a US stupid sports star ended up there with the fat pig boy leader. I don't understand why American religious preachers go there. They are stupid and arrogant but I hope the old man gets home to his upper-middle class life style because of his age and learns a lesson.

I kind of agree. If he is being used as another pawn which seems likely, I wouldn't want the U.S. government to give up anything for him. He chose to go there to an enemy state of the USA and he knew the risks. Hopefully another good warning to other Americans -- don't go there! Period.

About 4000+ western tourists visit NK each year. They are now building a ski resort to attract more.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/22/north-korea-ski-resort-tourism-good

Visiting scary (or once scary) places can be fun as usually they are far less scary than people make them out to be (but still far fewer fellow tourists), unless you are either very silly or very unlucky.

Trips to Iran, Colombia, Guatemala, Algeria, Lebanon, Armenia, Kurdish area of Iraq are all quite feasible if you want something different.

Westerners is one thing. Americans specifically visiting North Korea is a special situation.

Columbia is quite popular as a tourist and expat destination these days and it hardly belongs on the same list as North Korea.

BTW, ski resorts, schmi resorts -- there is no conceivable rationalization for the North Korean regime. This is a country where people are being sent to horrific prison slave work camps or even executed for watching South Korean action movies.

Edited November 21, 201312 yr by Jingthing

He only has to give them his serial number. I hope he remembers it.

Unless he's giving them the number off his pacemaker, you presumably mean his service number, though the former could be an amusing one to give!

Westerners is one thing. Americans specifically visiting North Korea is a special situation.

Columbia is quite popular as a tourist and expat destination these days and it hardly belongs on the same list as North Korea.

BTW, ski resorts, schmi resorts -- there is no conceivable rationalization for the North Korean regime. This is a country where people are being sent to horrific prison slave work camps or even executed for watching South Korean action movies.

As I said scary places or once scary places. Reputations take a while to turn around. One of the main tour companies for NK trips says a third of their western visitors are American. Nothing like a piece of forbidden fruit!

http://travel.cnn.com/how-travel-north-korea-042681

No one, and certainly not me, is saying that the NK regime is anything less than repellent, but should that stop people from visiting? There was a similar, long running debate re people visiting Burma prior to the recent opening-up/reforms. Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest was always adamant that foreign visitors were a good thing for Burma rather than be seen as support for the regime.

Update on Mr Newman (perhaps they thought he was Paul Newman..the Great Leader is a bit of a movie fan)

http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-north-korea-detainee-20131121,0,5057805.story#axzz2lIrAFCAB