One of the sadder stories in recent days was the plight of Otto Warmbier, a college student from Ohio who chose to travel to North Korea in 2015 and paid for it with his life.
Just before leaving the reclusive communist nation, officials detained Warmbier, claiming he stole a propaganda banner. His sentence was 15 years of hard labor, but the North Koreans recently returned him to the United States, apparently because they knew his health was failing.
Warmbier was in a “waking coma” when given to a U.S. special envoy, and he died shortly after his return. His loss is a tragedy, and the unwillingness to abide by any norms of decency is one more example of why North Korea retains its status as an international pariah.
At the same time, it must be said: The young adventurer made a serious error in judgment by choosing a risky place to travel. He planned to spend his third year of college studying in China and signed up for a five-day visit to North Korea through a Chinese agency that says it takes visitors to “destinations your mother would rather you stay away from.”
That slogan unfortunately proved its accuracy. The lesson for young adventurers is to be a little more selective when they see the world. Their mothers certainly will appreciate it.
