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Jon Chol Jin

North Korea billed US $2 million for imprisoned student's medical care

Otto Warmbier fell into a coma after apparently being tortured behind bars and died days after arriving back in the United States.

NORTH KOREA DEMANDED that the United States pay a $2 million medical bill for US student Otto Warmbier, who went into a coma after being tortured in the totalitarian country, a report said today.

The Washington Post quoted unidentified sources as saying that a US official was made to sign a pledge to pay an invoice for the medical costs before being allowed to fly Warmbier back home from Pyongyang in 2017.

The envoy signed the pledge on instructions from President Donald Trump, according to the Post report.

It was unclear whether the bill was ever paid, the report said.

Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, was imprisoned after being accused of taking down a propaganda poster in his hotel during a tour trip to North Korea.

He fell into a coma after apparently being tortured behind bars and died days after arriving back in the United States.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders’ only reaction to the report was: “We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration.”

Trump has made rapprochement with North Korea one of his signature policies and he has held two summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

At their last meeting in Hanoi in February, Trump said he accepted Kim’s claim not to have known what had happened to Warmbier in prison, despite the case being extraordinarily sensitive.

“I will take him at his word,” Trump said.

© AFP 2019

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    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute brian reid
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    Apr 25th 2019, 10:33 PM

    Money towards a new Rocket ….

    106
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    Mute Dean Anderson
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    Apr 25th 2019, 10:42 PM

    2 million quid would help feed a load of north Koreans but if Kim gets his hands on that money he’ll order in plenty of caviar &champers for himself &his cronies..he’s the best fed man in the place

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    Mute FrustratedASDMum
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    Apr 26th 2019, 12:24 AM

    @Dean Anderson: Don’t forget the cheese. Aul Kim loves his cheese.

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    Mute TheTrustedChalice
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    Apr 26th 2019, 12:44 AM

    @FrustratedASDMum: Richard Cheese

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    Mute Shawn O'Ceallaghan
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    Apr 26th 2019, 7:15 AM

    @Dean Anderson: still a deal compared to US health care

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    Mute DavidOReilly
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    Apr 25th 2019, 10:36 PM

    it’s called humiliating the Donald

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    Mute andyearley
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    Apr 25th 2019, 10:34 PM

    Putin et al doing some top drawer trolling right there!

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    Mute Aisling
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    Apr 25th 2019, 10:50 PM

    What a depressing article..

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    Mute Dan Skelton
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    Apr 25th 2019, 10:45 PM

    Why does North Korea even exist?

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    Mute Simon Power
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    Apr 25th 2019, 11:24 PM

    @Dan Skelton: it exists as a buffer between the highly US militarised South Korea and China. The latter props up the State for that very purpose.

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    Mute Seán Dillon
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    Apr 26th 2019, 9:05 AM

    Kim is really making a laugh out of the Trump administration

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    Mute Brian Flavin
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    Apr 25th 2019, 10:41 PM

    Ridiculous silly that fault North Korea guard prison tortured USA man to damage brain definitely in prison

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    Mute andyearley
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    Apr 25th 2019, 10:46 PM

    @Brian Flavin: what’s that Brian?

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    Mute Juan Fangio
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    Apr 25th 2019, 11:12 PM

    @Brian Flavin: Him definitely torture damage brain die, isn’t it.

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    Mute Brian Flavin
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    Apr 25th 2019, 11:38 PM

    @andyearley:

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    Mute andyearley
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    Apr 25th 2019, 11:41 PM

    @Juan Fangio: indeed

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Apr 26th 2019, 12:01 AM

    Hey asshats, Brian is deaf.

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    Mute andyearley
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    Apr 26th 2019, 12:06 AM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: ……… and? What are u insinuating about people with hearing impairments?

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Apr 26th 2019, 12:41 AM

    @andyearley: nothing at all. Brian stated before that his comments are as they are because of his hearing impairment. Oddly enough he has decided to contact and abuse me on Facebook just now using perfect grammar.

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    Mute Brian Flavin
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    Apr 26th 2019, 12:48 AM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: you feck no respect about me as I revenge back you. You stay out

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Apr 26th 2019, 7:45 AM

    @Brian Flavin: cool man, no disrespect intended whatsoever. Next time I won’t bother trying to explain as people are mocking you. Absolutely no need for the level of abuse you sent me last night.

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    Mute GerryCummins
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    Apr 26th 2019, 10:03 AM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: how does hearing impairment affect typing? Genuine question!

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    Mute andyearley
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    Apr 26th 2019, 10:27 AM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: I wasn’t abusing Brian. Simply asked a question. See what happens when you’re a do-gooder????

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Apr 26th 2019, 2:16 PM

    @andyearley: an entirely disingenuous point.

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    Mute Ted Murray
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    Apr 26th 2019, 3:57 PM

    @Brian Flavin: — FTW?

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    Mute Jack
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    Apr 26th 2019, 5:01 PM

    @andyearley: broken English, very popular in Korea.

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    Mute John Madden
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    Apr 25th 2019, 10:54 PM

    The North Koreans basically killed that man.

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    Mute Adolf Galland
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    Apr 26th 2019, 4:55 PM

    “Allegedly” is missing somewhere in that story.

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