15-Years Hard Labour In A North Korean Gulag For Stealing A Political Banner.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3494513/American-student-detained-North-Korea-sentenced-15-years-hard-labor-trying-steal-political-banner.html

According to some of the Daily Mail's comments this student is shown very little sympathy, do you agree with them?

[Gromit]

Comments from anonymous posters on forums should always be ignored.

- Gromit

[jackthehat]

I haven't got the time or inclination to read through 3593 comments; but if any of them say that he seems to be an immature, self-entitled 'frat-boy' who ought to have realised that high standards of behaviour are expected especially from 'Western' visitors to a country as paranoid as NK, I think I'd agree with them.
I would also agree that 15 years hard-labour is excessive in the extreme.

However, now that NK has had its show-trial where Warmbier effectively denounces the US, I expect he'll be quietly shipped back Stateside within the next 6 months.

[retrocop]

'I made the worst mistake of my life,' the tearful UVA student said at the press conference, which was covered by North Korean and international media, according to CNN.

I think this loon has made more than one mistake. Some Christian organisation he belongs to stateside.
Considering North Korea were rattling their sabres last week issuing the statement of preparedness to nuke the U.S. he should of taken his government's advice and not travelled to N.K. in the first place.
To steal 'a trophy' from a restricted area of a hotel where guests have no access for a Church.???
This prat shouldn't have been allowed out of his house,state,country unaccompanied let alone travel to a belligerent country and then commit a crime.
Too stupid to realise he has played into these goons propaganda machine.
Even if he had been stitched up by the N.K. authorities he shouldn't have given them the opportunity by visiting the place.

[douglas9401]

Youth is wasted on the young.

[Gromit]

He has got 15 years hard Labour after being encouraged to steal the banner by his church in the US.
On the plus side, they are praying for him.

[Old_Geezer]

I would assume he is being used as a bargaining chip for something. The sentence is inappropriate but we know all governments care little for their own people. Some abominable regimes care nothing for their own folk, let alone foreign folk, and are happy to nab anyone who transgresses.

[ummmm]

He must have known the risks were high but I'm still sympathetic. I was just sighing that I had to go to the shop for cat food so don't know how I'd cope with 15 years of hard labour.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

/// Comments from anonymous posters on forums should always be ignored. ///

Not much point behind AnswerBank then.

[Old_Geezer]

You believed there was ?

[anotheoldgit]

ummmm

Yes I agree most sad at just 21 years of age.

He was foolish to the extreme, but he won't be the first 21 year old to be foolish, the problem is he was foolish in the wrong country, but 15 years hard labour? and not as if he was smuggling drugs.

[vulcan42]

Another example of a church goer ignoring the 8th commandment when it suits them.

[ToraToraTora]

Of course I have sympathy for the lad but why is he even in this sh1th0l3?

[anotheoldgit]

Some of us have all visited some sh1th0l3s at times, trouble is they are now getting more numerous with each passing day.

[retrocop]

He can look on the bright side. If he had nicked an ISIL flag as a souvenir in another civilised land he would never pick his nose again.
It is as stupid as visiting USSR during the cold war where the state owned hotels were staffed by KGB and a tail on every corner.

[youngmafbog]

No sympathy. Can't do the time dont do the crime.

Pity we dont stand up for ourselves when religious people ignore our laws.

[ToraToraTora]

can't Big G sort it?

[Peter Pedant]

the usual suspects seems to agree that the sentence is a bit light

[tamborine]

That will cut NK tourism

[RATTER15]

His religion has nothing to do with it, he was convicted of theft in North Korea,

They dont take this kind of stuff lightly.

I think he should be released immediately, he is a young lad and a bloody fool and has learned his lesson for sure!!