North Korea Sentences U.S. Student Otto Warmbier to 15 Years’ Hard Labor (Afghanistan, suspect)

[ohhwanderlust]

Wow, lots of schadenfreude going on here.

Yes, going to North Korea was a bad idea, goofing around in there is an even worse idea, and no, he can't expect the US to come swooping in to save him. But it's still an unfortunate situation all around. Especially since not only did the traveller get arrested, his guide likely was as well (guides can and have been punished just as harshly if not worse than the transgressors themselves, for failing to keep them in line).

This kid probably googled 'is North Korea safe', and got websites like this, telling him that foreigners are safe:

Is North Korea safe? » Is North Korea safe?

Many other sites irresponsibly say pretty much the same thing.

The lesson anyone considering going there should learn is to take safety assessments only from government travel safety sites. They tend to err on the side of caution in my experience, but so too should we.

[doc1]

Originally Posted by The Dark Enlightenment

Best to just stay in your own house with the doors locked 24/7?

Is that the only alternative?

[LINative]

Originally Posted by natalie469

Most of you seem to be so happy that this kid got what he deserved. But he is a kid don't forget. And what if he was your kid. Would you be this happy. Most of us, if not all did really stupid things at his age

I agree with you. I am actually astounded by some of the people on this thread.

I totally agree with everyone who said that Americans (or just about any foreigners) should not be traveling to North Korea. As some people noted, they can be arrested for trivial reasons (like this kid stealing a poster) and be used as political pawns. There should be at least some kind of fine.

But this college student is just 21 years old. Did some of the posters here actually forget what is like to be 21? I work with college students and I am continually surprised about their latest juvenile adventures they tell me, especially the boys. While many college students are mature for their age, most kids in their late teens and early 20s are concerned about having fun and living in the here and now. They certainly do not think like mature adults.

[Three Wolves In Snow]

Originally Posted by LINative

I agree with you. I am actually astounded by some of the people on this thread.

I totally agree with everyone who said that Americans (or just about any foreigners) should not be traveling to North Korea. As some people noted, they can be arrested for trivial reasons (like this kid stealing a poster) and be used as political pawns. There should be at least some kind of fine.

But this college student is just 21 years old. Did some of the posters here actually forget what is like to be 21? I work with college students and I am continually surprised about their latest juvenile adventures they tell me, especially the boys. While many college students are mature for their age, most kids in their late teens and early 20s are concerned about having fun and living in the here and now. They certainly do not think like mature adults.

I never stole anything from the different country that I lived in from 18-21. I learned about their customs, their rules, their laws, and I made sure that I did not break them. I had respect for that country and the people who lived in it.

By 21 years of age, you know better than to steal things.

[VLWH]

Originally Posted by HappyTexan

He's lucky they didn't chop off his hands.

Make it even harder for him to work in the salt mines.

[dechatelet]

What the hell was he doing there, anyway?

[dechatelet]

They have lots of torture for labor camp prisoners in North Korea.

[dechatelet]

Originally Posted by LINative

I agree with you. I am actually astounded by some of the people on this thread.

I totally agree with everyone who said that Americans (or just about any foreigners) should not be traveling to North Korea. As some people noted, they can be arrested for trivial reasons (like this kid stealing a poster) and be used as political pawns. There should be at least some kind of fine.

But this college student is just 21 years old. Did some of the posters here actually forget what is like to be 21? I work with college students and I am continually surprised about their latest juvenile adventures they tell me, especially the boys. While many college students are mature for their age, most kids in their late teens and early 20s are concerned about having fun and living in the here and now. They certainly do not think like mature adults.

Yeah, and no doubt his commie professors told him it would be a GREAT idea for him to go to North Korea.

I dunno -- at age fourteen I was able to see through the liberal/left/commie b.s.

I'm just finding it very hard to be sympathetic....

And believe me, even fifty years ago, they were shoving that commie stuff down our throats.

[dechatelet]

Originally Posted by desertdetroiter

Why not? We're holding men in Guantanamo without a trial until the end of time and they committed no crime at all that we can prove.

By that standard, North Korea has done nothing wrong.

Yes, and those "poor Muslims" in Gitmo cost us about $10 million a year each.

I guess giving them Korans, prayer rugs and other goodies is expensive.

I don't notice them turning big rocks into small rocks.

Their guards don't appear to be walking around flourishing leather whips and thinking up interesting ways to execute them.

In fact, one of those "innocents" just wrote a "book" that I saw reviewed (slavishly) in the New York Review of Books.

[dechatelet]

Originally Posted by SHABAZZ310

Americans shouldn't be visiting North Korea...

Ya think?