Hanoi Summit and the sad event of Otto Warmbier

March 2, 2019

Moon J. Pak

The second Summit between the U.S. president Donald J. Trump and North Korean leader, chairman of the county’s Central State Committee, Mr. Kim Jong Un held in Hanoi, Vietnam, on February 28 was not successful due to inability of both sides reaching each other’s expectations. However, the failure of the summit did not appear to have affected the friendly interpersonal relation between the leaders.  None-the-less, one of the departing comments made by president Trump raised havoc in U.S. media; he said chairman Kim is a great friendly person and he did not have anything to do with the fate of Otto Warmbier, who was cruelly imprisoned and tortured by the North Korea, and released to his family in U.S. in a comatose state in 1916. In other words, president Trump was implying that the Warmbier affair represents cruel, demonic North Korea but chairman Kim was not responsible for it, and he was not even aware of the event.

Immediately, the liberal U.S. media took upon the issue and used it to criticize Trump for dealing with Kim Jong Un who is the dictatorial leader of the terrible demonic country of North Korea, DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea).

It appears that the time has finally come to take a look at the Warmbier event from the perspectives  of the DPRK, where the whole sad event took place.

Otto Warmbier was a 22 years old American college student who joined a tourist group organized by a commercial travel agent that had a business tie with the North Korean government, in the year 2016. Immediately upon arrival to his hotel in Pyongyang, he openly took down a wall slogan containing the image  of the North Korean leader, who is nearly divinely respected by every North Korean citizen. He was immediately arrested and jailed by the authority horrified by his behavior. However at the court where he was judged and sentenced for imprisonment, he confessed and begged for leniency in tears stating that he was hired by a conservative Jewish group called Z-Society to carryout the provoking act. The video of this court event has been widely publicized by the DPRK.

While in prison, he had developed a neuromuscular paralysis, and North Korean medical examination revealed that he has contracted a medical condition called, Botulism, which is a fairly common bacterial infection due to exposure to Clostridium Botulinum. It usually causes a gradual paralysis of central, brain and peripheral nervous system and neuromuscular junction and unless treated with appropriate antibacterial medication, will eventually leads to comatose end and death. The condition is relatively easy to diagnose and the disease spreads easily through contacts, consumption of contaminated food and drinks, etc. Actually, the toxin isolated from the cultured bacteria is used in cosmetic procedures, and it is called Botox Injection.

According to the North Korean authority, while in prison in North Korea Otto Warmbier contracted Botulism and they decided to release him to U.S. under the condition thinking that upon arrival to his country and family he could be properly treated,

Therefore, his neurological deficit seen on his return to the U.S. was not due to any physical mistreatment, torture, or any other traumatic event while in North Korean prison. The obvious lack of any wounds on him upon arrival to U.S. supports the North Korean claim. He should have tested for the presence of Botulism bacteria  and also upon his demise, an autopsy should have been  carried out on his remain.

Regardless of the true direct cause of his demise, we all, including the DPRK authority, offer condolence and sympathy to his parents and members of his family.

Oakwood Medical Center

811 Oakwood Drive, #201

Rochester, MI. 48307

mjpak1000@yahoo.com

Senior VP-KANCC(Korean American National Coordinating Council)