US Student Arrested In North Korea During Vacation & Mysteriously “Brain Dead” 18 Months Later

Comments · 10K

• HE

  @heylamb123 · 3 years ago

  As a South Korean, I can't wrap my head around why people would want to travel there. You obviously know that everything is controlled and dangerous.

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• DD

  @DdaengEli · 3 years ago

  I'll never understand why people would want to vacation in North Korea. This is just sad😔.

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• ME

  @Meretneith · 1 year ago

  I have a strong feeling that he really went to the forbidden floor and saw something he was not supposed to see. And because the authorities couldn't just say that as a reason for his detention they faked a video with him commiting an offence they could publicly state as such.

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• PA

  @PandaGraciosa · 2 years ago (edited)

  I went to high school with Otto back &nbsp;in Ohio. He was a few years older than me but our school was really small so you knew everyone a few grades older and younger than you. It was absolutely devastating to our small community. It was one of those “I remember where I was when” things. I remember specifically when I learned that Otto was coming home. We had all of these ribbons on trees like “bring him home” type ribbons for a long time &nbsp;while he was in captivity so it was always on the forefront of our minds but this was a specific moment I remember. I was at lifeguarding at the community pool and we were all excited at first and we were talking about how he was going to probably write a book and be super famous. Now keep in mind, this is all before it hit the news, this was like the rumor mill within the community. But then later in the day we learned that he was in a coma. We were all in such disbelief. Like we all knew his family, they either live down the street from them, parents are friends, friends with his siblings, were in his classes or did clubs with him, like we all knew him, even if we weren’t close. I was his best friends’ successor as president of the Spanish club. Like, this gives you an idea of how small and interconnected the community is. But yeah, it took a while for us to really grasp that he wasn’t going to wake up. Then all sorts of government officials and diplomats were visiting our small suburban community for the funeral and meet with the family, it was so weird. The funeral took place at our high school which was a double layer of sad because it reminded us of how young he was since that was the last place most of us actually saw him or at least interacted with him in person. Anyone else who has ever been to the funeral of a young person their age probably knows how extra sad and strange it is even if you’re not close to them. <br><br>I really appreciate that you gave him a real story rather than giving into the whole “stupid reckless college kid who is arrogant enough to think that he can get away with anything” nonsense. I couldn’t get all the way through the video because tbh it’s just kind of too close to home and it’s upsetting to me but from everything I heard I really appreciate your compassion. No one at all who knew him at all believed for one second that he did anything wrong. I really think it was an unfortunate opportunity DPRK took to grab an American and make an example of him. Like he was not at all like that. Even in high school when every guy was an arrogant ass. People who think they know everything just go off and say horrible things about him where he “deserved it” but it’s so important to remember that he was a REAL person and his family has to deal with this every day for the rest of their lives. And they for sure see comments. If I feel angry and hurt over seeing these comments as someone who knows his family but was not close to him by any means, I cannot fathom how his family and close friends feel. I went to South Korea for vacation &nbsp;last month and actually visited the DMZ and it was a really weird experience for me to look straight at North Korea after everything that happened and I couldn’t help but to spend time there remembering Otto. <br><br>Sorry for my long thing, I’m just glad I found this video because this is refreshingly compassionate compared to many other defamatory videos unfairly judging him. <br><br>Also note: the whole bit about the “Methodist church” that’s literally where I went to preschool and it’s just bonkers that a random church was brought into this especially since he’s Jewish. <br><br>You make SO many good points I wish more people paid attention to before saying horrible things about him where his loved ones can see them. <br><br>Just thanks 💜

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• TN

  @TnK2015 · 3 years ago

  Moral of the story: take the advice on travel advisories. The advisories are posted to protect you, but also to let you know that you&apos;re on your own if you get in trouble. Don&apos;t expect countries to go to war to save you.

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• KA

  @karenwilson9528 · 2 years ago

  I remember watching a North Korean defector once talk about the moment they landed in the USA. All the flight staff and the people that came to meet him off the aircraft couldn&apos;t stop welcoming him and telling him how glad they were to see him. He thought, &apos;these are my life long sworn enemies?!?!&apos;

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• IR

  @IreneSalinas26 · 3 years ago

  Wait! Otto&apos;s parents refused an autopsy on Otto&apos;s body? That&apos;s crazy! if you ask me. How could you NOT want to know what exactly killed your son? Yet, they go sue North Korea for half a billion dollars? You&apos;d think they&apos;d want to know every detail possible of what was done to their son during his horrific detention in that country. That just doesn&apos;t sound right to me.

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• RE

  @Redcloevr · 2 years ago

  It’s crazy that it took the U.S banning citizens from traveling to North Korea for people to understand there’s nothing over there worth experiencing when you’re one wrong move from certain death

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• KA

  @kaneedabreeze6830 · 3 years ago

  people who vacation in the DPRK are not only risking their own future, but also directly supporting a deadly regime and ruthless dictator.

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• LO

  @lorenzo575 · 2 years ago

  For a restricted floor that doesn’t even exist, surely it would be locked and have restricted access. My guy was able to just get in that easy? That’s sus asf.

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• LE

  @leighmartindale809 · 2 years ago

  It’s terrifying that they specialize in forms of torture that don’t leave physical marks.

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• RV

  @rvpstudiosstudios1028 · 1 year ago

  “WORST DECISION” is an UNDERSTATEMENT.<br>Moral of the story: &nbsp;NEVER EVER fuck around in NORTH Korea.

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