webfact Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 North Korea sentences US tourist to 15 years in prisonAssociated PressPYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — North Korea's highest court sentenced an American tourist to 15 years in prison with hard labor on Wednesday for subversion. He allegedly attempted to steal a propaganda banner from a restricted area of his hotel at the request of an acquaintance who wanted to hang it in her church.Otto Warmbier, a 21-year-old University of Virginia undergraduate student, was convicted and sentenced in a one-hour trial at the North's Supreme Court. He was charged with subversion.No further details were immediately available.Warmbier was arrested as he tried to leave the country in early January. He was in North Korea as a tourist with a New Year's tour group.In a statement made before his trial, he told a gathering of reporters in Pyongyang he tried to take the banner with a political slogan on it as a trophy for the mother of a friend who said she wanted to put it up in her church.North Korea announced the arrest in late January, saying he committed an anti-state crime with "the tacit connivance of the U.S. government and under its manipulation."Warmbier had been staying at the Yanggakdo International Hotel, which is located on an island in a river that runs through Pyongyang, the capital. It is common for sections of tourist hotels to be reserved for North Korean staff and off-limits to foreigners.In his comments, Warmbier said he was offered a used car worth $10,000 by a member of the church. He said the church member told him the slogan would be hung on its wall as a trophy. He also said he was told that if he was detained and didn't return, $200,000 would be paid to his mother in the form of a charitable donation.Warmbier, from Wyoming, Ohio, said he accepted the offer of money because his family is "suffering from very severe financial difficulties."In previous cases, people who have been detained in North Korea and made a public confession often recant those statements after their release.North Korea regularly accuses Washington and Seoul of sending spies to overthrow its government to enable the U.S.-backed South Korean government to control the Korean Peninsula.U.S. tourism to North Korea is legal, but the U.S. State Department strongly advises against it. -- (c) Associated Press 2016-03-16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinneil Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Whos a silly boy then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya_girl Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 What has this got to do with Thailand ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 It's the World News Section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya_girl Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 ok sorry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldsailor35 Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 What has this got to do with Thailand ? Just letting you know, it could be your turn next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsspiral Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Must have been "very severe financial difficulties" if he could only afford a new year holiday to N Korea from USA. Wish I was as skint as him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lukecan Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 What has this got to do with Thailand ? have you changed your dealer lately? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aRobotnamedWAR Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 What has this got to do with Thailand ? you havent noticed THAILNAD AND N KOREA being close buddies? China cant send weapon making materials directly there ... they go through thailand. And corrupt thai officials make a huge killing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godden Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 not much difference than thailand then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowgard Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 In his comments, Warmbier said he was offered a used car worth $10,000 by a member of the church. He said the church member told him the slogan would be hung on its wall as a trophy. He also said he was told that if he was detained and didn't return, $200,000 would be paid to his mother in the form of a charitable donation. So him know exactly what can happen about him!!! I don't want to call him an idiot but ... I never understand why a US Citizen would visit North Korea. Did Kim not imprisoned enough americans before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiniyow Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 15 Years for Theft is Not uncommon in many Countries..I remember people that got a 30 Yr sentence for having a Roach in there Car Ash Tray in the 60 to 80s..USA houses More Prisiones per Capita then any other country of Earth..This young Man got Caught Stealing and Now sentenced... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtrnuno41 Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 In middle east they cut off your hand, while stealing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesMad Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Is this a son of Trump?!? Same country, and even more stupid (if that is possible?) Som nam na Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceChee Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Dumb man ...if he spent some time knowing world news he would know having an American passport in North Korea is just dumb risk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tchooptip Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 I've seen it on thai TV he was so destroyed after the verdict the poor young man could hardly walked the guards were obliged to support him, I reckon he was not expecting 15 years when doing it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asean Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 why does anyone go to north korea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfalfa19 Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 holy cow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billd766 Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 What has this got to do with Thailand ? you havent noticed THAILNAD AND N KOREA being close buddies? China cant send weapon making materials directly there ... they go through thailand. And corrupt thai officials make a huge killing. I actually hadn't noticed, but if it is that obvious that you have noticed it I am sure that you will be able to provide some links and reports to prove it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 He's a pawn. Americans just stay away from that hellhole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCC1701A Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 (edited) wow harsh comments for the American kid here and nothing about the commie North Korean scum. I say Nuke Pyongyang and put the kid out of his misery and the surviving Koreans will be free of the Criminal government. Edited March 16, 2016 by NCC1701A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 There's more to his story than is being told. I stayed at that hotel. They specifically put you there so you can't run around on your own. The boundaries of where you can and can't go are pretty clear as far as the hotel grounds. Then there is the fact that a "church" would give him a car to use if he got some poster and would pay $200,000 to his family if he got caught? This all brought on by an acquaintance? If the area was off limits how did anyone know the poster was there. He got caught when exiting the country with his tour group? Evidently the hotel did not even know it was missing. When I went to North Korea the tour company operating in Beijing had very specific briefings before the group left for No. Korea on what to expect, what to do, what not to do. There are all sorts of places they take you where you can buy propaganda posters. It is quite a popular product I guess. Granted things are definitely on the slide since I was there when fat boy had first taken over. I was on a private tour and the two of us had two "guides" and a driver. They were with us everywhere we went. Feel sorry for the guy and for being so stupid. 15 years for a stolen propaganda when they try and sell stuff in all the bookstores? It was a fantastic trip and one of the most interesting I have ever taken but not sure at this point I would go back as an American. The company I went with conducts tours regularly without incident so you just have to wonder what was going one with this guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedro01 Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 I've seen it on thai TV he was so destroyed after the verdict the poor young man could hardly walked the guards were obliged to support him, I reckon he was not expecting 15 years when doing it My sentiments exactly... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theguyfromanotherforum Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 wow harsh comments for the American kid here and nothing about the commie North Korean scum. I say Nuke Pyongyang and put the kid out of his misery and the surviving Koreans will be free of the Criminal government. Because people don't give a flying about USA anymore. Your posts proves exactly why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceChee Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 wow harsh comments for the American kid here and nothing about the commie North Korean scum. I say Nuke Pyongyang and put the kid out of his misery and the surviving Koreans will be free of the Criminal government. Because people don't give a flying about USA anymore. Your posts proves exactly why. Agree ....this typical nuke the bugger reaction is why we have such a huge crisis in Europe right now and ISIS and all the middle eastern geo political which would have been better solved in talking. USA has zero success in its foreign policies as its used to bullying , bombing and then leaving a mess for the next president to clean up. U can see why China insists in talks , it's like having a crazy pit bull at your backyard with ballistics missiles ....if the crazy guy Kim pressed all the armaments and fires them all before committing suicide , there is no Star Wars force field here that can protect millions of civilian casualty in the entire region I say let the guy suffer in jail ....because one dumb idiot suffering for 15 years is better than millions dead if we corner the pit bull up to the wall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
attento Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 What sort of Church encourages, or worse, actually pays people to steal ? What sort of Church would consider displaying a Communist propaganda poster ? Fairly safe to assume it is not a Christian church. . Something very strange about this report Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billd766 Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 wow harsh comments for the American kid here and nothing about the commie North Korean scum. I say Nuke Pyongyang and put the kid out of his misery and the surviving Koreans will be free of the Criminal government. Great plan. Nuke it and everything will be fine. Make the area uninhabitable for decades and don't worry about the radiation fallout that may kill millions of innocent NK civilians and will probably not get Kim anyway. Don't worry about the inevitable was that WILL break out between NK and SK or the civilians in Seoul which is not far from the DMZ or the SK military or the US military who are also based in SK. Don't worry about the radiation coming from Seoul if Kim actually does have WMD. Don't worry about the effect on the rest of the world as they don't matter anyway. Just nuke Pyongyang. Are you for real or are you as stupid as your post suggests? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baboon Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 wow harsh comments for the American kid here and nothing about the commie North Korean scum. I say Nuke Pyongyang and put the kid out of his misery and the surviving Koreans will be free of the Criminal government. Great plan. Nuke it and everything will be fine. Make the area uninhabitable for decades and don't worry about the radiation fallout that may kill millions of innocent NK civilians and will probably not get Kim anyway. Don't worry about the inevitable was that WILL break out between NK and SK or the civilians in Seoul which is not far from the DMZ or the SK military or the US military who are also based in SK. Don't worry about the radiation coming from Seoul if Kim actually does have WMD. Don't worry about the effect on the rest of the world as they don't matter anyway. Just nuke Pyongyang. Are you for real or are you as stupid as your post suggests? Very well put.If anyone is still wondering why the DPRK has an active nuclear weapons program despite sanctions and hardship, they need look no further than the above post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 (edited) Please. Nobody in power in the U.S. thinks that way. Don't take a troll internet post as U.S. government policy. The knee jerk emphasis on JERK anti American sentiment is nauseating although predictable. Edited March 17, 2016 by Jingthing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slipperylobster Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 (edited) ok sorry it's ok. If it were not for Thai Visa World News Forum, we would all be out of touch with reality. We love TV so much, that we forget to watch the News. Sort of like spoon feeding us. Edited March 17, 2016 by slipperylobster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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