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Otto Warmbier’s father to attend Olympic opening ceremony

Otto Warmbier’s father to attend Olympic opening ceremony

Posted February. 06, 2018 08:13,   

Updated February. 06, 2018 08:13

한국어

The father of Otto Warmbier, the American university student who was detained in North Korea and came back home in a permanent vegetative state and died, is going to attend the Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang as a guest of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.

The Washington Post reported Sunday that Fred Warmbier will attend the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics as a guest of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence. The invitation is interpreted as a move to shed light on the human rights crisis in North Korea and build pressure against the regime, which is trying to utilize the winter Olympics as a means of propaganda.

The U.S. vice president, who will be arriving in South Korea on Thursday after visiting Japan, is putting an emphasis on pressuring the North during his stay in Pyeongchang.

Axios, an American Internet news outlet, reported Sunday the remarks of Pence’s spokesperson that he “will not allow North Korea’s propaganda to hijack the messaging of the Olympics.” The U.S. vice president further stressed that he “will do everything he can to remind people that North Korea is the most tyrannical and oppressive regime on the planet and not allow people to fall for the regime’s charade.”

The Financial Times pointed out Monday that the “differences between Seoul and Washington could be laid bare at the opening ceremony on Friday.”


Yong Park parky@donga.com · Gi-Jae Han record@donga.com