Death of 22 year old student detained in North Korea

[countrygirl12]

It is sad and senseless young people go to these other countries and think that things are handled anything like here and it isn't.  First of all why would you even go somewhere like that when it is well known that he is a maniacal tyrant.  Such a waste of a young life - I have two sons and I can't imagine losing either one of them like this.

That is the thing.  In the US you can basically do what ever you want and get a slap on the wrist.  You do something as simple as accidentally littering in some of these countries and you get YEARS in prison with hard labor.

[countrygirl12]

How did they know that he stole a picture from a hotel? It must be an expensive piece otherwise they would have let him pay and release him on bail. They need to send in someone back then to investigate why didn't the U.S. intervene back then? I guess Obama was in office at the time.

Uh NO THEY WOULD NOT.  It is not the United States.  In other countries you are actually PUNISHED for your crimes.  In Syria if you get caught stealing they cut your hand off FOR THE FIRST OFFENSE.  Do it again and they cut your other hand off.  You are stupid enough to do it a third time and they cut your hand off.  And it does not matter what you steal or how old you are.

And I KNOW a man who was from there.  He told me this with his own mouth.  If you are convicted of rape - you are immediately executed.  No appeals.  No I am sorry.  No I didn't do it.  If the United States was like this we would have a lot more people working and a lot less crime.

And the US did NOT need to intervene.  These frickin idiots go to these dangerous countries and do something foolish and get in trouble with the law and then want our country to go to WAR to rescue their worthless butts.

[Tresbn00]

I hope that he rest in peace as well. I can not understand why he, or any one for that matter, would visit North Korea. It is pretty well known that the country is strict and makes some questionable calls as far as policing the masses-why would someone choose to go to a country with a history of poor international decisions? I am surprised that anyone American would go there given the current political tension. Probably a pretty poor choice to break a law there especially, if it truly happened, stealing a poster. My daughter went to Singapore which is an amazingly clean, and fairly just, country. She knew the laws going there. She was reminded constantly that chewing gum was not an accepted practice so, guess what? She did not chew gum when she was there.

[Nancy5]

I feel so bad he lost his life, but I have to agree why was he there?  There are tons of countries you can visit and enjoy, and there are other countries you are foolish to go to.  There is no way I would even think or want to go to the Middle East, North Korea, Singapore to name a few.  I don't know if anyone remembers this is or not, but a few years ago an American 20 year old went to Singapore (an extremely clean and many laws) for a vacation.  He was caught throwing a piece of paper on the ground (a major no-no) he was sentenced to, if I can remember the amount, I think it was 80 lashes with a cane.  There was nothing the United States could do, he broke their law.  He received the punishment and was sent home.  Seriously if you want to visit any country read the laws very very carefully.  There are very few countries as lenient as ours.

[ghunter]

So sorry for his family.

[dancer139]

so very sad,,,,  should not have happened this way.   He should not have been detained in North Korea.  You know they put this poor guy through hell and back. Only to finally send him home when they didn't want to care for him any more.