World
North Korea says it has arrested a Virginia student for ‘hostile acts’
By
Anna Fifield January 22 at 10:12 AM
@annafifield
TOKYO — A University of Virginia student honored as an “intellectual risk-taker” has been arrested in North Korea, its state-run media said Friday, accusing the American of unspecified “hostile acts” against the state with "the tacit connivance of the U.S. government."
Otto Frederick Warmbier, 21, was detained Jan. 2 at Pyongyang airport as he prepared to leave after a five-day trip over the New Year’s holiday, said Gareth Johnson of Young Pioneer Tours, the agency that organized the trip. ... This was four days before North Korea conducted its latest nuclear test, and makes Warmbier the third Westerner known to be held in North Korea — a move that is certain to elevate already high tensions. ... But Warmbier’s detention was not made public until Friday, when the official Korean Central News Agency said it was questioning him about taking part in “anti-state activity.”
....
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.
At the university — where he studies commerce and is part of the Theta Chi fraternity — Warmbier was selected as an
Echols scholar, a special four-year academic program for fewer than 250 students in each class. Those chosen are described as “intellectual risk-takers” who have shown “academic excellence, intellectual leadership, and evidence of the ability to grapple with complex topics,” according to the university’s website.
NEWS
Third-year Warmbier arrested for "hostile act" against North Korea, nation reports
Commerce student now under investigation by North Korean government
by Tim Dodson | Jan 22 2016 | 7 hours ago
Third-year Commerce student Otto Frederick Warmbier was arrested in North Korea Friday, according to reports from the Korean Central News Agency.
Warmbier, an Echols scholar and a member of Theta Chi Fraternity, is alleged to have committed “a hostile act” against the North Korean government with the support of the U.S. government. North Korean officials said Warmbier is still under investigation and have released few details about the case.
U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner said the department is aware of media reports detailing a U.S. citizen being captured in North Korea and considers the welfare of U.S. citizens one of its highest priorities.
“In cases where U.S. citizens are reported detained in North Korea, we work closely with the Swedish Embassy, which serves as the United States’ Protecting Power in North Korea,” Toner said in an email statement. “We have no further information to share due to privacy considerations.”
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