Travel Company That Arranged Otto Warmbier's North Korea Tour Stops U.S. Bookings
The travel agency used by Otto Warmbier to arrange his trip to North Korea has stopped taking bookings from United States citizens to the reclusive country. Warmbier was released to the U.S. in a coma after his detainment and later died.
The 22-year old student tourist booked with Young Pioneer Tours for his trip. While in the care of the China-based travel agency, Warmbier was arrested at the airport in Pyongyang in January 2016, according to the Guardian.
The travel agency claims to be the first to offer budget tours to North Korea, according to their website.
Secret diplomatic negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea was eventually able to secure Warmbier's release, but the student was already in a coma by the time he was returned to the country. He died later in a hospital on Monday, June 19.
Young Pioneer Tours sent their sympathies through a news post on their website dated Tuesday, June 20, where the company expressed their shock at Warmbier's passing. The tour agency went on to say that they are no longer accepting bookings for North Korea tours from U.S. Citizens.
"The devastating loss of Otto Warmbier's life has led us to reconsider our position on accepting American tourists," Young Pioneer Tours' management wrote in their post.
"Despite constant requests, we were denied any opportunity to meet him or anyone in contact with him in Pyongyang, only receiving assurances that he was fine. There has still been almost no information disclosed about his period in detention. Considering these facts and this tragic outcome we will no longer be organising tours for US citizens to North Korea," the travel agency explained.
The tourist was charged with theft of a propaganda poster, which he allegedly removed from his hotel. He was later sentenced to 15 years of confined labor after being found guilty of "crimes against the state." The trial reportedly took under an hour as reported by North Korean state media.
