When it comes to bragging rights, few destinations can top the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Curious travelers are willing to endure constant chivvying from minders cum tour guides, as well as indifferent food and accommodation, all for a glimpse of Orwellian streetscapes, extravagant communist iconography and a collectivized culture that is, to foreign eyes, both fascinating and repugnant.
However, last Friday’s announcement that an American student had been detained in Pyongyang for supposed “hostile acts” during a guided tour has, once again, laid bare the risks of allowing one of the world’s most repressive and unpredictable regimes to be your host.
Otto Frederick Warmbier, a 21-year-old University of Virginia economics student, was reportedly seized at Pyongyang airport before his scheduled flight to China on Jan. 2. The Korean-language state broadcaster KCNA said Warmbier “aimed to destroy the country’s unity” and was being “manipulated by the U.S. government.”
Unconfirmed reports from a passenger on what was supposed to be Warmbier’s flight suggested the American was dragged away by armed guards. The witness, who identified himself only as Darragh, told the U.K.’s Independent daily that Warmbier’s tour group “were up until four or five in the morning drinking vodka and having fun.”
According to Adam Cathcart, a North Korea specialist at the University of Leeds, in England, while the postdetention treatment of individuals is always political and used for domestic and international propaganda, “the arrests themselves are usually triggered by behavior that the North Korean authorities can classify as illegal.”
Most recently these include Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American missionary sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for proselytizing, and Matthew Todd Miller, a 25-year-old American whom the North Koreans accused of espionage. Both were subsequently released.
A statement by Warmbier’s tour company said he was involved in some kind of “incident” at his hotel. That may have been completely unwitting: North Korean society has many foibles that trip up unsuspecting Westerners — such as taking a photograph of passersby, or frankly discussing international affairs, or failing to show appropriate reverence near images of founding father Kim Il Sung.
Such slips typically merit a dressing down rather than arrest. However, “Warmbier got detained whereas others have not done, which leads one to ask what instructions the North Korean authorities are under at this particular moment in time,” says Christopher Green, co-editor of the Sino-NK analysis forum.
Green recalls hearing about “drunken hijinks” on other tours to North Korea in recent years that resulted in hotel management, tour guides and tour-company management being called together, with the aim being to ensure that “everyone was seen to be taking it seriously.”
Much would seem to depend on the political climate at the time. At present, international pressure is building on North Korea after the state claimed to have reached the “next level of nuclear might” by detonating what it said was a hydrogen bomb on Jan. 6. Experts around the world have disputed this assertion, but the U.N. Security Council has considered tightening economic sanctions in response.
According to Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, Warmbier’s detention is another case of “political hostage-taking.”
“When North Korea gets into a diplomatic dispute with the U.S. government, they like to grab any American they can find and use them as bargaining chips,” he says.
Ever since the split of the peninsular in 1953, following an armistice that marked the de facto end of the Korean civil war, the secretive dynasty that still rules North Korea has excelled at brinkmanship — alternating between threats, displays of strength and conciliatory dialogue.
According to Brian Myers, associate professor of international studies at South Korea’s Dongseo University, the regime gains “domestic propaganda points when the foreigner is arrested, more points if a foreign VIP flies in to bail him out, [and] an easy signaling of openness … to foreign optimists by setting him free.”
Cathcart notes that the timing of the arrest — four days before the nuclear test — makes it unlikely that Warmbier was preemptively seized as a bargaining chip. “More likely is that public security makes the arrest, and then the propagandists figure out how to make hay from it,” he says.
Take an Inside Look at North Korea
Aug. 26, 2011. A North Korean woman looks down at the city of Pyongyang from the top of the Tower of the Juche Idea.David Guttenfelder—APApril 12, 2011. Central Pyongyang at dusk through a hotel room window.David Guttenfelder—APJan. 16, 2012. Light shines through a window on to a tank filled with goldfish inside an office at the Korean Central News Agency building in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APApril 11, 2012. Under a North Korean flag, residents of Pyongyang wait for public transportation.David Guttenfelder—APFeb. 26, 2008. North Korean commuters are seen riding a bus in central Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APApril 12, 2012. A pedestrian walks past a large apartment block in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APFeb. 12, 2012. A North Korean man rides a bike along the banks of the Pothong River in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APApril 14, 2011. North Koreans pay their respects before a monument of Kim Il-Sung at Mansu Hill in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APSept. 17, 2008. North Koreans school girls walk hand in hand past a monument in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APOct. 11, 2011. North Korean construction workers labor in the Mansudae area of Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APApril 9, 2012. North Korean women are pictured working in a thread factory in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APApril 3, 2012. A North Korean student learns to drive a tractor on a computerized driving simulator at the Samjiyon Schoolchildren's Palace in Samjiyon, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APOct. 9, 2011. A man walks past a building in Pyongyang where a picture of North Korea's late leader Kim Il-Sung hangs on its outer wall.David Guttenfelder—APApril 22, 2011. A woman looks at monkeys behind a glass enclosure at the central zoo in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APApril 13, 2011. Workers carry painted doors along a road in Mangyongdae, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APApril 14, 2011. Portraits of North Korea's late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il hang on a wall at a children's school of performing arts in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APMarch 10, 2011. Children look through a subway car window in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APApril 8, 2012. A North Korean soldier stands at a check point seen from a train heading to North Phyongan Province, about 50 kilometers (35 miles) south of the border town of Sinuiju along North Korea's west coast.David Guttenfelder—APApril 13, 2011. North Korean soldiers tour the grounds of the birthplace of the late President Kim Il-Sung at Mangyongdae, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APApril 2, 2012. The hoof of a deer used as a door handle hangs on the door of the small cabin that is said to have been the home of the late North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung, and the birthplace of his son and late leader Kim Jong-Il at what was a secret military camp during the fight against the Japanese at the foot of Mount Paektu, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APApril 4, 2012. a North Korean soldier working as a guide walks through a forest at the foot of Mount Paektu, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APApril 3, 2012. A man clears snow from the base of a monument at the Samjiyon Grand Monument area in Samjiyon, North Korea at the base of Mount Paektu.David Guttenfelder—APFeb. 11, 2012. Snow blankets farm fields on the outskirts of Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APApril 17, 2011. People work in a field outside of Kaesong, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APApril 10, 2012. A North Korean man rides a bicycle on the grounds of a communal apple farm on the outskirts of Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APOct. 8, 2011. A North Korean man rests near a farm field along a highway outside the eastern coastal city of Wonsan, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APApril 15, 2011. A young North Korean dancer leaps by as North Korean girls put on panda bear costumes as they prepare to perform at a gathering at a park to celebrate the 99th anniversary of the late leader Kim Il-Sung's birthday in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APApril 15, 2011. A North Korean girl uses her digital camera to take a photograph of her friend dancing at a gathering at a park to celebrate the 99th anniversary of the late leader Kim Il-Sung's birthday.David Guttenfelder—APApril 14, 2011. A young girl stands on floral-print carpet inside the Pyongyang Children's Palace in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APFeb. 26, 2008. A North Korean woman peers out of an elevator while speaking on an in-house phone at a library in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APFeb. 12, 2012. A bouquet of flowers sits on a table in front of a painted mural on the wall of a restaurant in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APFeb. 26, 2008. North Korean ushers peer into the concert hall before the start of a performance by the New York Philharmonic in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APFeb. 26, 2008. North Koreans look through the performance program before the start of a concert by the New York Philharmonic in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APFeb. 27, 2008. North Korean girls sing a song entitled "Generalissimo Kim Il Sung Danced With Us" at the Mangyongdae Schoolchildren's Palace in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APOct. 11, 2011. North Korean soccer fans react after their team missed a goal during a World Cup qualifying match between North Korea and Uzbekistan, in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APApril 15, 2011. Women perform a dance routine with badminton rackets at an event to mark the birthday of Kim Il Sung at a park in Pyongyang, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APSept. 16, 2008. A guide gives a lecture in front of a diorama showing the Korean War's 1950 battle of Taejon as she gives a tour of the War Museum in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APFeb. 16, 2012. Fireworks explode over the heads of North Korean soldiers lined up in formation at Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang during a parade of thousands of soldiers commemorating the 70th birthday of the late Kim Jong-Il.David Guttenfelder—APFeb. 14, 2012. A North Korean stands at attention as others cheer during the unveiling of a new bronze statue depicting the late leader Kim Jong-Il and his father Kim Il-Sung at Mansudae Art Studio in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APFeb. 16, 2012. A large screen shows video, recorded during the period of mourning following the death of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, during a concert in Pyongyang to commemorate his death and what would have been his 70th birthday.David Guttenfelder—APApril 12, 2012. North Korean residents of the capital city mingle on the side of the street in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APJan. 15, 2012. A song and video showing the launch of the North Korean "Unha-2" rocket plays on karaoke stage inside a restaurant in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APApril 8, 2012. A group of journalists walk down a road in front of North Korea's Unha-3 rocket, slated for liftoff at Sohae Satellite Station.David Guttenfelder—APApril 15, 2012. North Koreans, lit with red light, look on with delight as they watch a fireworks display along the Taedong River in Pyongyang to celebrate 100 years since the birth of the late North Korean founder Kim Il-Sung.David Guttenfelder—APApril 15, 2012. North Korean civilians, some weeping, wave flowers as they look up at North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, unseen, at the end of a mass military parade in Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square to celebrate 100 years since the birth of the late North Korean founder Kim Il-Sung.David Guttenfelder—APApril 12, 2012. A North Korean woman with a pin of the late leader Kim Il Sung attached to her dress sits with fellow audience members at the "World Congress on the Juche Idea" in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APApril 15, 2012. North Korean soldiers ride by on horses in front of flower waving civilians during a mass military parade in Pyongyang's Kim Il-Sung Square to celebrate 100 years since the birth of the late North Korean founder Kim Il-Sung.David Guttenfelder—APApril 13, 2012. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, far right, applauds with senior military officials as citizens wave flowers at an unveiling ceremony for statues of the late leaders Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APApril 15, 2012. Two North Korean officials look up at a crowd of military members seated in a stadium in Pyongyang during a mass meeting called by the Central Committee of North Korea's ruling party.David Guttenfelder—APApril 16, 2012. Images of the late North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung and Mt. Paektu appear on a screen behind a choir during a concert in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APApril 17, 2012. A man and a boy pose for a picture in front of portraits of the late leaders Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il at a festival for the "Kimilsungia" flower to mark 100 years since the birth of North Korea's late leader in Pyongyang.David Guttenfelder—APAug. 8, 2012. North Koreans gather under a high dive platform to watch as fellow swimmers hesitate to try a dive at a newly opened swimming pool in Pyongyang, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APAug. 8, 2012. North Koreans look at a model of an octopus as they tour a dolphin show facility at a newly-built amusement park in Pyongyang, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APAug. 8, 2012. A woman rides a roller coaster at a newly-built amusement park in Pyongyang, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APAug. 11, 2012. North Koreans grill barbecue under a tree at Majon Beach near Hamhung, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APAug. 11, 2012. Two people dance at Majon beach near Hamhung, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APSept. 8, 2012. A North Korean woman working at a miniature golf facility give guidance to young players in Pyongyang, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APSept. 11, 2012. North Korean woman walks down stairs at a restaurant meant primarily for tourists in Kaesong, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APSept. 13, 2012. North Korean children lift toy barbells during play time at a school for the performing arts in Pyongyang, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APJan. 10, 2013. North Korean men shovel snow from the roof of a building in Pyongyang, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APFeb. 16, 2013. Female North Korean traffic police officers gather in front of bronze statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il to pay their respects in Pyongyang, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APFeb. 17, 2013. North Korean soldiers ride an escalator past a model of their country's Unha Rocket as they enter an exhibition in Pyongyang, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APApril 11, 2013. North Koreans visit the Pyongyang Folk Park on the outskirts of Pyongyang, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APApril 11, 2013. North Koreans dance together beneath a mosaic painting of the late leader Kim Il Sung during a mass folk dancing gathering in Pyongyang to mark the anniversary of the first of many titles of power given to leader Kim Jong Un after the death of his father Kim Jong Il.David Guttenfelder—APApril 14, 2013. Runners rest inside Kim Il Sung Stadium in Pyongyang. North Korea hosted the 26th Mangyongdae Prize Marathon to mark the upcoming birthday of the late leader Kim Il Sung.David Guttenfelder—APApril 15, 2013. A North Korean child covers the eyes of her father as she sits on his shoulders watching mass folk dancing in front of Pyongyang Indoor Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APApril 16, 2013. A North Korean soldier races another man on a go cart track at the Fun Fair in Pyongyang, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APApril 18, 2013. North Korean children work at easels during a drawing class at Mangyongdae Children's Palace in Pyongyang, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APApril 24, 2013. A North Korean boy rides in a bicycle basket on a road north of Kaesong, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APApril 24, 2013. A North Korean man checks his bicycle next to a painted exclamation point on a propaganda billboard in Kaesong, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APApril 24, 2013. A North Korean boy on rollerblades is pulled by a woman on a bicycle on a road south of Kaesong, North Korea and north of the demilitarized zone which separates the two Koreas.David Guttenfelder—APApril 25, 2013. North Korean soldiers and civilians stand on a foot bridge to look at goldfish in a moat as they tour the grounds of Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the mausoleum where the bodies of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il lie embalmed, in Pyongyang, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—APApril 25, 2013. North Korean soldiers and civilians pose for souvenir photos in front of a fountain as they tour the grounds of Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the mausoleum where the bodies of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il lie embalmed, in Pyongyang, North Korea.David Guttenfelder—AP
Warmbier’s arrest “effectively shifts world news coverage from talks about the pending further economic and actions being taken to counter DPRK to now focusing on the issue of the newly detained American,” adds Nathan Hunt, a researcher doing 3-D reconstructions of North Korean military and rocket sites.
Given that any visitor to North Korea might become a theoretical pawn in a geopolitical fracas (“the whole nature of authoritarianism contains an element of arbitrariness,” as Green puts it), ethnical questions are now starting to dog those who choose to visit the country, as well as the tour companies that facilitate those trips.
The U.S. State Department warns in strong terms against travel to North Korea, stressing: “Do not assume that joining a group tour or using a tour guide will prevent North Korean authorities from detaining you or arresting you.” Even the website of Young Pioneers, the tour company Warmbier used, says it provides “budget tours to destinations your mother would rather you stayed away from.” (TIME contacted several tour companies offering trips to North Korea for this article but all declined to comment.)
Certainly, the negative aspects of North Korean tourism are already manifold. Heavily supervised trips don’t allow for mingling with the locals. Trips are expensive and funnel cash to the repressive regime of Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un. And local guides inevitably bear the brunt in the event of any perceived trouble.
Experts believe that Warmbier will eventually be released, and will likely be treated well until that time, though “what the cost of that release will be is an open question,” says Green. Negotiations against nuclear proliferation and rights abuses must be put on the back burner, and concessions will likely be offered in order to arrange his return.
This releases pressure on a state that, according to a U.N. report last year, inflicts on its 25 million citizens “extermination, murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape, forced abortions and other sexual violence, persecution on political, religious, racial and gender grounds, the forcible transfer of populations, the enforced disappearance of persons and the inhumane act of knowingly causing prolonged starvation.”
That doesn’t appear much like a fun holiday destination. As Robertson puts it: “Any American who wants to go to North Korea outside an official capacity with official protections would need to have their head checked.”
