Another American Imprisoned In North Korea

jyl · jyl's Garage

Why do Americans continue visiting North Korea for tourism, charity, journalism, or any purpose? How stupid can you be?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/north-korea-sentences-u-va-student-to-15-years-of-hard-labor-in-prison/2016/03/16/87fc5538-eb8e-11e5-a6f3-21ccdbc5f74e_story.html

GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

That guy is a total idiot. He tried to steal a Government poster. Yea, go to North Korea and steal something. In 15 years when he get out he can try to steal something in Russia or littering in Singapore.

I hope the US government does not spend any effort or money trying to get that idiot free.

jyl · jyl's Garage

He is an idiot. Not for allegedly stealing the poster, but for going to North Korea. Do these people not realize they are going to a place that has no laws but the government's whim, that regularly imprisons Americans on the merest of pretexts (which may well have been invented) simply as bargaining chips or to make political statements, where the US government has no power at all to protect them? Do that think they are going to a normal country?

I feel the same way about Americans who go to Yemen or Iraq and get themselves abducted and eventually dead. Yes, some people have to go there on real business and they go with security and take serious precautions. But there are the moony-eyed dreamers who go there to "do good" or as some sort of bizarre tourism.

LEAKYSEALS951 · 03-16-2016, 02:37 PM

Chocaholic · 03-16-2016, 02:43 PM

Motion? How was Libya?

mreid · 03-16-2016, 02:45 PM

Moron

rusnak · 03-16-2016, 03:21 PM

The N. Koreans want to sell him back for $$ and food.

stealthn · 03-16-2016, 03:58 PM

I think we need more hard labour on this side of the world!

I'd like to see some real work get done out of all the scumbags, then maybe the 100's of thousands of dollars to house each one of them starts to make sense.

motion · 03-16-2016, 04:19 PM

I would LOVE to go to North Korea and check it out, but even I'm not that stupid (at least not right now). Mrs Motion and I really like Seoul a lot. Maybe the kid just got a little carried away. It happened in his hotel. Maybe in the elevator. Might be completely benign, but then it isn't.

motion · 03-16-2016, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

Motion? How was Libya?

???

Jeff Higgins · 03-16-2016, 04:23 PM

We have a saying in AOG when traveling internationally: "Everything is fine until it's not."

It's just a matter of how fast and how severely things can turn. Some places are worse than others...

widgeon13 · 03-16-2016, 04:26 PM

I hope he enjoys his sixteen year paid vacation.

Freaking crybaby!

scottmandue · 03-16-2016, 04:29 PM

Agreed this guy is not the brightest bulb on the tree... but pretty harsh to laugh at someone being thrown into a third world prison.

rusnak · 03-16-2016, 04:30 PM

That Kim guy says he needs his wall around N. Korea because the USA sends them our criminals and rapists.

LEAKYSEALS951 · 03-16-2016, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottmandue

Agreed this guy is not the brightest bulb on the tree... but pretty harsh to laugh at someone being thrown into a third world prison.

Good point- and well taken- Because when I read the story, I immediately remembered all the stupid #$$% I did in college, and how unfair he is potentially getting 18 years. The only difference being- that I didn't go out of my way to a country such as NK to do it. That is something that in my silly college mind- I would have never considered, nor had the means or approval of my parents (who would have subsidized the trip) to go on.

t6dpilot · t6dpilot's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by motion

I would LOVE to go to North Korea and check it out, but even I'm not that stupid (at least not right now). Mrs Motion and I really like Seoul a lot. Maybe the kid just got a little carried away. It happened in his hotel. Maybe in the elevator. Might be completely benign, but then it isn't.

Seoul is a generation removed and a complete culture from North Korea. Not even close. Like communist China years ago and Japan today, not close.

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

Two lessons learned
1) Do not go to countries/areas that are especially lawless or have incredibly corrupt leaders (worse than ours).
2) Once you establish that you will pay for hostages...do not be surprised when they are taken often.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

NK has never not been rewarded for its bad behavior. American tourists going there are a gravy train for the regime. No sympathy at all for this idiot. Let him sweat it out. If he makes it out, he'll have learned a new language and an appreciation for how easy we have it here.

Arizona_928 · 03-16-2016, 06:50 PM

don't forget a worth ethic... ^^

Jeff Higgins · 03-16-2016, 07:22 PM

Everyone thinks they are special. Everyone thinks "they would never do this to me". Everyone is wrong. We have long since learned to pay attention to our State Departments "travel advisories".

Maybe Dennis Rodman can talk his squealing little piggy friend into releasing this maroon. Maybe if he gives him a reach around or something. Maybe if he assuages his guilt over being the only fat kid in an entire country.

Nah - our boy is doomed. The only protein he'll see will be the rats chewing on his toes - hopefully he's quick (and lucid) enough to grab one and go all Ozzy on him...