US Squaddie willingly crosses into North Korea

US Squaddie willingly crosses into North Korea

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Discussion

cirian75

Original Poster:

4,360 posts

240 months

Tuesday 18th July 2023
quotequote all
Strange lad

Can't but think it won't work out for him no matter what happens.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-asia-6623488...

valiant

11,384 posts

167 months

Tuesday 18th July 2023
quotequote all
Has happened before (although not for some time).

They were used as a propaganda tool for the North and by all accounts led a half decent life (well, according to the North Koreans anyway so take with a pinch of salt)

Edited by valiant on Tuesday 18th July 17:01

Some Gump

12,869 posts

193 months

Wednesday 19th July 2023
quotequote all
Wow. Didn't PRNK systematically torture some poor bugger near to death for stealing a poster, only to send him home just before death like a wayof making sure the world knew how much he suffered?

That squaddie is going to really regret his life choices in future, i suspect..

Byker28i

68,195 posts

224 months

Wednesday 19th July 2023
quotequote all
He had just spent 50 days in a detention facility fro assault, on release he was escorted to an airport for a flight back to the United States, but his escorts couldn't go past a security checkpoint with him, so he got away from the airport, joined the tour of the Joint Security Area and defected.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/19/asia/us-soldier...

Triumph Man

8,887 posts

175 months

Wednesday 19th July 2023
quotequote all
valiant said:
Has happened before (although not for some time).

They were used as a propaganda tool for the North and by all accounts led a half decent life (well, according to the North Koreans anyway so take with a pinch of salt)

Edited by valiant on Tuesday 18th July 17:01
The weekly diet of the average north korean at the moment?

Seriously though, why would anyone look at NK and think "that's the place for me"

ChocolateFrog

28,722 posts

180 months

Wednesday 19th July 2023
quotequote all
Some Gump said:
Wow. Didn't PRNK systematically torture some poor bugger near to death for stealing a poster, only to send him home just before death like a wayof making sure the world knew how much he suffered?

That squaddie is going to really regret his life choices in future, i suspect..
I think it was more that they didn't want the repercussions of a dead tortured American.

redback911

2,803 posts

273 months

Wednesday 19th July 2023
quotequote all
ChocolateFrog said:
Some Gump said:
Wow. Didn't PRNK systematically torture some poor bugger near to death for stealing a poster, only to send him home just before death like a wayof making sure the world knew how much he suffered?

That squaddie is going to really regret his life choices in future, i suspect..
I think it was more that they didn't want the repercussions of a dead tortured American.
Yup, Otto Warmbier. Arrested January 2016 at the airport as he was leaving NK, then "released" in a comatose state June 2017, died shortly after his release. According to his medical team... "brain scans revealed Warmbier had suffered extensive loss of brain tissue throughout his brain, consistent with a cardiopulmonary event that caused the brain to be deprived of oxygen." Water torture?

The US Squaddie may regret his life choices.

Blue62

9,390 posts

159 months

Wednesday 19th July 2023
quotequote all
Be interesting to see how Biden deals with this, they’ve got a US nuclear sub in the area I believe, sending a message to ‘Rocket Man’ who Biden has so far pretty much ignored. Maybe the optics of the story will enable him to put this down to one individual with a screw loose and not get drawn into a bargaining situation?

Hereward

4,393 posts

237 months

Wednesday 19th July 2023
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redback911 said:
...The US Squaddie may regret his life choices.
I'm not convinced the squaddie has enough brain cells to perform much self-analysis.

Some Gump

12,869 posts

193 months

Wednesday 19th July 2023
quotequote all
redback911 said:
Yup, Otto Warmbier. Arrested January 2016 at the airport as he was leaving NK, then "released" in a comatose state June 2017, died shortly after his release. According to his medical team... "brain scans revealed Warmbier had suffered extensive loss of brain tissue throughout his brain, consistent with a cardiopulmonary event that caused the brain to be deprived of oxygen." Water torture?

The US Squaddie may regret his life choices.
bbc said:
US doctors described Mr Warmbier as being in a state of "unresponsive wakefulness", but the Warmbier family said calling this a coma was "unfair".

His father said when they saw his son he was "moving around, and jerking violently, making these howling and inhuman sounds".

His head was shaved, he was blind and deaf, his arms and legs were "totally deformed" and he had a huge scar on his foot, he said. It "looked like someone had taken a pair of pliers and rearranged his bottom teeth".

"Otto was systematically tortured and intentionally injured by Kim and his regime. This was no accident," his father said.
Like wow.

Byker28i

68,195 posts

224 months

Thursday 20th July 2023
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So having been jailed and effectively deported back to the US, Private King texted his US military handlers to let them know he was preparing to board the plane, but insteadleft the airport, booked a tour of the DMZ and sprinted into DPRK, where he was arrested by the North Korean guards
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/19/politics/travis...

conkerman

3,382 posts

142 months

Thursday 20th July 2023
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He didn't wanna get on no plane?


Byker28i

68,195 posts

224 months

Thursday 20th July 2023
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conkerman said:
He didn't wanna get on no plane?
I pity the fool biggrin

TheJimi

25,754 posts

250 months

Thursday 20th July 2023
quotequote all
Byker28i said:
So having been jailed and effectively deported back to the US, Private King texted his US military handlers to let them know he was preparing to board the plane, but insteadleft the airport, booked a tour of the DMZ and sprinted into DPRK, where he was arrested by the North Korean guards
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/19/politics/travis...
Textbook frying pan / fire scenario.