North Korea Detains U.S. Citizen

[CostinR]

http://thehill.com/policy/internatio...citizen-report

A Korean-American was detained in North Korea amid heightened tensions in the region, sources told the Yonhap news agency in South Korea.

The U.S. citizen, who is reportedly a former professor at China's Yanbian University of Science and Technology in his late 50s, is only identified by his surname, Kim.

Sources told Yonhap that Kim was arrested at Pyongyang International Airport last week as he was trying to leave the country.
He had been involved in aid and relief programs to North Korea, the unidentified sources added.

The director of the World North Korea Research Center in Seoul, Ahn Chan-il , told Yonhap that that the North "seems to be intending to use professor Kim as leverage in negotiations.”

South Korea went on heightened alert Friday while Russian officials pushed against reports that Moscow is moving troops to its border with the reclusive country.

South Korean officials are expected to meet with representatives from the U.S. and Japan next week to "discuss plans to rein in North Korea's additional high-strength provocations, to maximize pressure on the North, and to ensure China's constructive role in resolving the North Korea nuclear issue," the foreign ministry in Seoul said.

Get ready for a heavy dose of military escalation.

[Machismo]

Why would anyone purposefully go into North Korea? Honestly, this should not be an issue for the American government, and will not sway any negotiations.

[s_bushido]

Get ready for a heavy dose of military escalation.

Why? It's happened before.

[Stormcall]

Honestly, if you go into North Korea at this point, you're kinda asking for it. I mean, sure, it sucks for the person, but...they had to kinda expect it, no? I mean, if some guy deliberately climbs into the tiger cage at the zoo, or decides he's gonna break into a restricted military base, or decides he's gonna fight a grizzly bear with his fists, it will suck for him when he gets eaten, or shot, or mauled, but I'm not gonna feel too bad for him.

[Alydael]

You know Kim is crazy and he has unlimited power in his country. He can have you killed on a whim, on the spot.

Why would anyone go to a place like that?

[Deleted]

Say what you will about N Korea. But Americans visiting the place often break laws or do other stupid things. They are very rarely innocent.

[Mavett]

Say what you will about N Korea. But Americans visiting the place often break laws or do other stupid things. They are very rarely innocent.

For crying out loud, the only reason he was arrested is due to his US citizenship and the ongoing escalation, breaking laws.. gosh.

[Wilian]

Why? It's happened before.

This time there's two manchildren that love waving big dicks about and cross streams instead of one.

[Deleted]

For crying out loud, the only reason he was arrested is due to his US citizenship and the ongoing escalation, breaking laws.. gosh.

Breaking laws and doing stupid things. Something that Americans visiting N Korea seem to do often because other Western Tourists do not seem to have these issues.

Euna Lee and Laura Ling- Observing troop movement, taking pictures of things they were told not to. They also then handed the N koreans a list full of defectors, people escaping N Korea.
Evan Hunziker- Crossed the border illegaly, had several arrest warrants out for him in the US.
Robert Park- crossed the border illegaly, started smashing pictures of the Kims.
Aijalon Gomes- Entered N Korea illegaly. (And you Americans complain about Mexicans crossing borders :P )
Kenneth Bae- tried spreading Christianity in best korea. A big no no.
Jeffrey Fowle- Was proselytising, which is strictly forbidden in North Korea, also left a bible in a Nightclub, christianity is forbidden in N korea.
Kim Dong-Chul - Caught with a USB stick full of documents.
Frederick Otto Warmbier- Destroyed, Stole the local propaganda.

Now list me the other foreign tourists who the N Koreans detained for doing such stupid stuff.

[Blobfish]

Why is everyone in Korea called Kim ?
Get confusing after a while

Lots of Parks in Korea as well

[dabanks07]

And you Americans complain about Mexicans crossing borders

Wait. Are you comparing an example that includes a total of FIVE people to the roughly 6 million estimated illegal immigrants from Mexico and almost 12 million total illegal immigrants in the US?

[Kontinuum]

Why is everyone in Korea called Kim ?
Get confusing after a while

Lots of Parks in Korea as well

Australia is even worse.

[Deleted]

nuk them !!!

[Mavett]

And you know that for a fact?

Nah the escalation has nothing to do with it Maklor, he was probably arrested for stepping one foot outside of the hotel without the supervision of the "tourist guides".

[ParanoiD84]

Labor camp next i guess.

[Mavett]

Labor camp next i guess.

More likely to be used as a bargaining chip for the US to back off..

[Independent voter]

Yeah, if you're a US citizen or an ally of the US, it's not a good time to travel in N Korea.

Why does this have to be said?

[s_bushido]

This time there's two manchildren that love waving big dicks about and cross streams instead of one.

Yes, but Trump at least doesn't have dictatorial powers.

[Deleted]

Why are US citizens even allowed to travel to North Korea? Aren't they well, your enemies? Or at least not the best of buddies hehe

[Deleted]

https://travel.state.gov/content/pas...l-warning.html

it's not like they don't warn you. go to a foreign county and you are subjects to their laws.