US president Donald Trump on Monday denounced the death of Otto Warmbier, saying the University of Virginia student who spent more than a year imprisoned in North Korea suffered at the hands of a "brutal regime".
"At least he got home to his parents," the president said during an event with technology CEOs at the White House, speaking just hours after Mr Warmbier died. He was sentenced to 15 years of hard labour in March 2016 for trying to steal a political banner, and was medically evacuated to Ohio last week.
The 22-year-old student's death risks escalating tensions as the US looks to halt North Korea's push to secure a nuclear-armed missile capable of reaching North America. While Mr Trump has warned "all options" are on the table, so far he has focused on pressuring China - North Korea's main ally and benefactor - while looking to get on the same page with a more dovish administration in South Korea.
Mr Warmbier had reportedly been in a coma since March 2016. Doctors described his condition as a state of “unresponsive wakefulness” and said he suffered a “severe neurological injury” of unknown cause while in North Korean custody.
In a statement issued shortly after his public remarks, Mr Trump said he extended his “deepest condolences” to the Warmbier family.
“Otto’s fate deepens my administration’s determination to prevent such tragedies from befalling innocent people at the hands of regimes that do not respect the rule of law or basic human decency,” Mr Trump said. “The United States once again condemns the brutality of the North Korean regime as we mourn its latest victim.”
Mr Warmbier, who was visiting North Korea as part of a student tour, was released some 17 months after he was first detained. His return was celebrated by the Trump administration as evidence of successful diplomacy. The White House has described the president as personally involved in securing his release.
In a statement, the Warmbier family thanked the medical team that treated his son and those who had offered their thoughts and prayers.
“Unfortunately, the awful torturous mistreatment our son received at the hands of the North Koreans ensured that no other outcome was possible beyond the sad one we experienced today,” the family statement said.
US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said the US holds North Korea accountable for Mr Warmbier's "unjust imprisonment" and demanded the release of three other American citizens still in detention.
In addition to the American prisoners, North Korean authorities have detained six South Koreans and one Canadian citizen, according to the Unification Ministry in Seoul. President Moon Jae-in, who took power last month, condemned North Korea for its treatment of Mr Warmbier and said he would push for the return of South Korean prisoners as well.
Prior to the incident, tensions had risen between Mr Moon and the US over the deployment of a missile shield that took place under his predecessor. Earlier this month, Mr Moon temporarily halted the installation of remaining components of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (Thaad), pending an environmental impact assessment. Mr Moon is scheduled to visit the White House later this month.
Bloomberg