21 yr old student arrested by North Korean authorities for taking a political slogan from a hotel

An American student detained in North Korea since early January and accused of carrying out a hostile act against the state has been paraded before the media. 21-year-old Otto Warmbier from the University of Virginia read out a purported confession saying he had stolen a political slogan – thought to have been from his hotel in Pyongyang. He was arrested on January 2 and reportedly taken away before boarding a flight back to China. “I understand the severity of my crime, and I have no idea what sort of penalty I may face, but I am begging to the Korean people and government for my forgiveness. And I am praying to the heavens so that I may be returned home to my family.” Warmbier said he had been offered a prize of a second hand car if he could bring back a “trophy” to present to an American church.