Episode 286: US Student Arrested In North Korea During Vacation & Mysteriously “Brain Dead” 18 Months Later

---

Otto and his tour group were staying at a 5-star luxury hotel where all their needs were met. They had a barbershop, pool, casino, multiple restaurants, and even a bowling alley inside the hotel. They had no reason to ever want to leave.

The only strange thing was - ALL GUESTS WERE PROHIBITED FROM ENTERING LEVEL 5 OF THE HOTEL.

It was strictly forbidden.

But in early 2016 - a guest supposedly entered the restricted floor and tried to steal a poster off the wall. He would be arrested and held captive, and when he was finally released a year later - he was brain dead.

All in North Korea, where no deed goes unpunished.

Full Source Notes: rottenmangopodcast.com

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/06/19/otto-warmbier-dies-days-after-release-from-north-korean-detainment/

https://www.gq.com/story/otto-warmbier-north-korea-american-hostage-true-story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp5qQVoPsOE

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/02/29/468545115/detained-american-student-gives-apparent-confession-in-north-korean-video

https://obits.postandcourier.com/us/obituaries/charleston/name/otto-warmbier-obituary?pid=185851356

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1706/15/cnr.03.html

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/06/22/533987796/mourners-remember-otto-warmbier-at-hometown-funeral

https://www.thetachi.org/

https://www.cnn.com/2017/06/16/us/otto-warmbier-profile/index.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ8CINk20rQ

https://www.gq.com/story/otto-warmbier-north-korea-american-hostage-true-story

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/03/north-korea-american-tourist-sentenced/474000/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/28/otto-warmbier-torture-north-korea-coroner

https://www.foxnews.com/world/after-nearly-a-year-detained-in-north-korea-little-progress-made-to-free-american-student-otto-warmbier

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/north-korea-video-apparently-shows-us-student-otto-warmbier-taking-propaganda-banner-a6938091.html

https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2017/06/otto-warmbier/530448/

https://www.foxnews.com/world/parents-of-otto-warmbier-us-citizen-detained-in-north-korea-want-son-to-be-part-of-negotiations

https://www.cnn.com/2017/06/15/politics/otto-warmbier-north-korea/index.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/06/15/otto-warmbier-has-extensive-loss-of-brain-tissue-no-obvious-signs-of-trauma-doctors-say/https://www.gq.com/story/otto-warmbier-north-korea-american-hostage-true-story

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/otto-warmbiers-family-awarded-240k-seized-north-korean-assets-rcna12768

https://www.voanews.com/a/court-papers-hint-at-otto-warmbiers-treatment-in-north-korea/4631497.html

https://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/16/us/otto-warmbier-profile/index.html

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/otto-warmbier

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40308028

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/01/19/otto-warmbier-north-korea-damages/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/28/otto-warmbier-torture-north-korea-coroner

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/tag/otto-warmbier/

Production Note:

Rotten Mango has not done original reporting on this case. The stories are based on existing material (listed in show notes).

The RM team works hard to make sure everything you’re listening to is as accurate as possible and we try to use multiple sources to verify the facts. Creative liberties may be taken in certain cases during the presentation of the case. Please email us at rottenmangop@gmail.com if you have any questions!