From Tourist to Prisoner in North Korea: Otto Warmbier | Episode 11

North Korea

Dec 3

🛫 Destination: Pyongyang, North Korea

🔍 On this episode of True Crime Travelers Podcast, we explore the shocking case of Otto Warmbier, an American traveler who was locked up abroad during a travel to North Korea, a prison sentence that eventually killed him.

What happened to Otto Warmbier in North Korea?

Listen here:

Watch the Full Video Episode here:

What the hell happened to
Otto Warmbier in North Korea

▸ Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old College student from Cinncinati, Ohio joined a tour to North Korea with a company called Young Pioneers in 2016. But, on the last day of their trip, as he was about to board the plane to return home, he was detained by North Korean authorities and convicted to 15 years of imprisonment and hard labor.

Why? For allegedly stealing a propaganda poster.
Listen to the episode and let us know what you think happened!

Everything we mention on
Episode 11 of True Crime Travelers

▸Watch Otto’s High School graduation speech in 2013

▸Otto Warmbier was arrested on January 2nd, 2016 while leaving North Korea after a group tour with Young Pioneers

SOURCE:LOS ANGELES TIMES

SOURCE: THE WASHINGTON POST

▸Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s “supreme leader”

SOURCE: HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

▸The Full Press Conference in Pyongyang we discuss in the episode.
You can watch another version of this press conference without watermark in this Reddit Post.

▸The Security camera footage that shows Otto’s alleged crime: taking down a poster.
Pay attention to how he moves. Do you think this is really him?

SOURCE: NBC NEWS

▸Otto, arriving back in the U.S.

SOURCE: THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER

▸ABC News report Otto’s death:

▸One of Young Pioneers groups in Pyongyang

WHERE IT HAPPENED…Pyongyang, North Korea

Pyongyang, the capital city of North Korea, is a carefully curated showcase of the country’s socialist ideology and architectural grandeur. Known for its wide boulevards, monumental statues, and iconic landmarks like the Juche Tower and the Ryugyong Hotel, the city serves as the political, cultural, and economic hub of the nation. Access to Pyongyang is tightly controlled, offering visitors a glimpse into the highly regimented and symbolic aspects of North Korean life. Despite its isolation, the city remains a focal point of curiosity for those interested in the Korean Peninsula’s complex history and geopolitics.

Bonus!

▸Watch the trailer of the movie Alexa mentions during the episode below:

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related to the case that we should know?

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