[Annotated] The outrageous death of Otto Warmbier

A travel ban for American citizens to North Korea may be in the offing^[각주:1].

"How safe is it? Extremely safe!" So read the guidance for North Korea on the website of Young Pioneer Tours when Otto Warmbier, a 21-year-old American student, signed up for^[각주:2] a five day trip to North Korea in December 2015. The travel company based in China is one of a handful^[각주:3] that offer tightly marshaled^[각주:4] circuits^[각주:5] around mostly beautified^[각주:6] bits of the impoverished^[각주:7] gangster state. "Despite what you may hear," it continued, "North Korea is probably one of the safest places on Earth to visit."

Mr Warmbier was arrested the following^[각주:8] month at the airport in Pyongyang, as he was leaving, and accused of attempting to steal a propaganda^[각주:9] placard^[각주:10]. This counts as^[각주:11] an "anti-state crime" in North Korea, since without political slogans to inspire them, workers might slack off^[각주:12]. He was tried in March 2016, and sentenced to 15 years' hard labour^[각주:13]. "I have been very impressed by the Korean government's humanitarian^[각주:14] treatment of severe criminals like myself," he said during a televised^[각주:15] confession.

The North Korean authorities released him "on compassionate grounds^[각주:16]" on June 13th, in a vegetative state^[각주:17]. He was flown home to Ohio, where he died six days later. American doctors who treated him after his arrival said he was suffering from a catastrophic^[각주:18] brain injury, probably sustained^[각주:19] shortly^[각주:20] after his trial^[각주:21]. Their analysis was based on two MRI scans provided by the North Koreans, who reportedly^[각주:22] said that Mr Warmbier had been in a coma^[각주:23] for over a year.

All other aspects of his 17-month-long detention^[각주:24] at the hands of^[각주:25] the regime are murky^[각주:26]. The placard he was accused of removing was in a staff-only corridor^[각주:27] at the Yanggakdo hotel in Pyongyang, where he had been staying (North Korea released grainy footage^[각주:28] of what it said was Mr Warmbier removing it and placing it on the floor). In a tearful^[각주:29] statement^[각주:30] of apparent confession, Mr Warmbier said he had tried to take it as a "trophy" for an American church. 

The North Korean government would not let Swedish diplomats^[각주:31] acting on behalf of America, which does not have diplomatic relations with^[각주:32] North Korea, visit Mr Warmbier after his trial. Yet it was quiet diplomatic shuttling^[각주:33] that appears to^[각주:34] have helped secure Mr Warmbier's eventual^[각주:35] release, culminating in^[각주:36] a meeting in New York on June 6th between Joseph Yun, America's^[각주:37] special representative^[각주:38] for North Korea, and North Korea's ambassador to^[각주:39] the UN, Pak Kil Yon. In that meeting Mr Yun learned of^[각주:40] Mr Warmbier's failing health^[각주:41]. Within a week he flew to Pyongyang with a medical team.

According to Mr Warmbier's parents, the North Koreans told their American counterparts^[각주:42] that his coma was induced by^[각주:43] a sleeping pill^[각주:44] that he took after contracting^[각주:45] botulism^[각주:46], a food-borne^[각주:47] illness. American doctors treating Mr Warmbier say they found no evidence of the disease in his body; nor, as some had suspected, of beatings^[각주:48] or other physical abuse^[각주:49]. They suggest that a heart attack may have cut his supply of oxygen^[각주:50]. It is one of a multitude of^[각주:51] puzzling^[각주:52] questions about the case. Why did North Korea admit that Mr Warmbier had been in a comatose state^[각주:53] for over a year but lie about its cause? And why did it originally keep quiet about the coma and treat him for a year before coming clean^[각주:54]?

On past precedent^[각주:55], it seems likely that the harm done to Mr Warmbier was unintended^[각주:56]. Although 18 American citizens have been detained by^[각주:57] North Korea over the past two decades (and ten since Kim Jong Un, its leader, took power^[각주:58] five-and-a-half-years ago), they have rarely been hurt. Foreign travelers are typically held either on espionage charges^[각주:59] or for "hostile acts^[각주:60]" against the North Korean state - bilingual Bibles left in bathrooms, for example. Yet these prisoners are mainly kept as bargaining chips^[각주:61] in the hope of negotiations. Matthew Todd Miller, who sought political asylum^[각주:62] in North Korea but was sentenced to six years of hard labour, said in an interview after his release six months later that he was permitted to keep his iPhone to listen to music, among other privileges. Kenneth Bae, who was charged with proselytizing^[각주:63], was allowed to read his Bible in captivity^[각주:64]. (Both men were released in late 2014.)

Mr Warmbier's case will fuel growing calls in America for a ban on travel to North Korea, for which a bill was proposed in May by two congressmen^[각주:65]. About 1,000 Americans, or roughly^[각주:66] one-fifth of all tourists to North Korea, visit the country every year (although America's government strongly advises against^[각주:67] it). Young Pioneer Tours, which also organizes travel to former Soviet gulags^[각주:68], Chernobyl and Iran (or, "destinations your mother would rather you stayed away from^[각주:69]", as it brags^[각주:70]), says it will no longer take Americans to North Korea. Uri Tours and Koryo Tours, two other travel companies^[각주:71] also based out of China that organize tours to North Korea, say they are reviewing their position on the matter. Backers^[각주:72] of a ban say that such tours do "nothing but provide funds to a tyrannical ^[각주:73]regime". Yet revenue from tourism, estimated at $30m-40m^[각주:74] a year, is only a small silver of even the North's backward^[각주:75] economy. Those who support interaction^[각주:76] say that an embargo^[각주:77] simply helps the North Korean government to shut out the outside world^[각주:78].

Mr Warmbier's sad fate will be taken as yet another^[각주:79] instance of American vulnerability to Mr Kim's regime, says Scott Snyder^[각주:80] of the Council on Foreign Relations^[각주:81], an American think-tank^[각주:82]. Concern about^[각주:83] the North's zeal^[각주:84] to develop a missile that can hit continental^[각주:85] America has mounted in^[각주:86] recent months. Coming so soon after^[각주:87] the news of his death, security talks^[각주:88] between America and China (one of the North's few backers) on June 21st in Washington, DC, will be charged. South Korea's president, Moon Jae-in, called for the swift^[각주:89] return of the three Americans and six South Koreans still detained there. Even if travel restrictions^[각주:90] are put in place^[각주:91], talks like those conducted by Mr Yun may still continue, says Mr Snyder - indeed, cooler heads^[각주:92] will argue that they are more necessary than ever.

1. be in the offing ; 목전에 닥치다 [본문으로]
2. sign up for ; ~을 신청(가입)하다 [본문으로]
3. one of a handful ; 손꼽히는, 소수의, 몇몇의 [본문으로]
4. marshal ; (-ll- , 美 -l-), [vn], (격식) 1. (특정 목적을 위해 사람・사물・생각 등을) 모으다[결집시키다] [본문으로]
5. circuit ; 1. 순환(로), 순회 (노선) [본문으로]
6. beautify ; [타동사][VN] (beau・ti・fies , beau・ti・fy・ing , beau・ti・fied , beau・ti・fied) (더) 아름답게 하다[꾸미다] [본문으로]
7. impoverished ; [형용사] 빈곤한 [본문으로]
8. following ; 1. (시간상으로) 그 다음의 [본문으로]
9. propaganda ; [U] (보통 못마땅함) (정치 지도자・정당 등에 대한 허위・과장된) 선전 [본문으로]
10. placard ; [명사] 플래카드, 현수막, 펼침막 [본문으로]
11. count as ; …이라 간주되다[간주하다]. [본문으로]
12. slack off ; (~에) 게으름을 부리다[태만해지다] [본문으로]
13. be sentenced to ; ~형 선고를 받다 [본문으로]
14. humanitarian ; [형용사] (주로 명사 앞에 씀) 인도주의적인, 인도주의의 [본문으로]
15. televised ; TV로 방송되는 [본문으로]
16. on compassionate grounds ; 동정심을 갖고서. [본문으로]
17. vegetative state ; (사고로 인한) 식물(인간) 상태 [본문으로]
18. catastrophic ; [형용사] 대변동[큰 재앙]의; 파멸의, 비극적인; 대단원의, 파국을 초래하는 [본문으로]
19. sustain ; 3. (격식) (피해 등을) 입다[당하다] [본문으로]
20. shortly ; 1. (시간상으로) 얼마 안 되어 [본문으로]
21. trial ; 1. LAW | [U , C] 재판, 공판 [본문으로]
22. reportedly ; [부사] 전하는 바에 따르면, 소문에 의하면 [본문으로]
23. be in a coma ; 혼수 상태이다. [본문으로]
24. detention ; (참고: detain) 1. [U] (특히 유치장・교도소에서의) 구금[구류] [본문으로]
25. at the hand(s) of ; …의 손을 통해, …의 작용으로, …의 손에서[으로, 에 의해] ;; 동의어 at somebody’s hands [본문으로]
26. murky ; 3. (못마땅함 또는 유머) (사람의 행동・성격이) 어두운 [본문으로]
27. corridor ; 1. (美 또한 hall・way) 복도, 회랑 US [|kɔ:rɪdɔ:(r);|kɑ:r-] UK [|kɒrɪdɔ:(r)] [본문으로]
28. grainy ; 2. (표면이) 오돌토돌한; 알갱이가 있는 ;; 흐름상 "미심쩍은" 정도의 의미로 이해 [본문으로]
29. tearful ; 1. (사람이) 울고 있는; 울먹이는 [본문으로]
30. statement ; 1. [C] 성명, 진술, 서술 ;; 참고 fashion statement [본문으로]
31. diplomat ; 1. (구식 dip・lo・ma・tist) 외교관 ;; US.UK [|dɪpləmӕt] [본문으로]
32. diplomatic relations ; 외교관계 [본문으로]
33. diplomatic shuttle ; (왕복 외교에 있어서의) 왕복 [본문으로]
34. appear to ; …에게 나타나다, 보이다 [본문으로]
35. eventual ; [형용사] (명사 앞에만 씀) 궁극[최종]적인 [본문으로]
36. culminate ; [자동사][V] ~ (in/with sth) (격식) (~으로) 끝이 나다[막을 내리다] [본문으로]
37. America's ; 굳이 American이라는 표현 대신에 's를 붙여 표현한것을 확인 [본문으로]
38. special representative ; 특별대리인 [본문으로]
39. ambassador (to) ; [명사] 대사 [본문으로]
40. learn of ; …에 대해 배우다, 알다 [본문으로]
41. failing health ; 허약한 건강 상태. [본문으로]
42. counterpart ; [명사] (다른 장소나 상황에서 어떤 사람・사물과 동일한 지위나 기능을 갖는) 상대, 대응 관계에 있는 사람[것] [본문으로]
43. induce ; 2. [타동사][VN] (격식) 유발[초래]하다 [본문으로]
44. sleeping pill[tablet] ; [명사] (정제·캡슐로 된) 수면제. [본문으로]
45. contracting ; 1. 수축성이 있는 [본문으로]
46. botulism ; [명사] 보툴리눔 식중독 ;; US [|bɑ:tʃəlɪzəm] UK [|bɒtjulɪzəm] [본문으로]
47. food-borne ; (신조어) 형용사로 오염된 음식을 통해 전파되는 질병을 뜻한다. [본문으로]
48. beating ; 1. [C] 때림, 두들겨 팸; 매질 [본문으로]
49. physical abuse ; 신체적인 학대 [본문으로]
50. cut (off) the supply of ; ~의 공급을 끊다 [본문으로]
51. a multitude of ; 많은, 다수의 [본문으로]
52. puzzling ; [형용사] 곤혹하게 하는, 헷갈리게 하는, 영문 모를 [본문으로]
53. comatose state ; 혼수 상태 [본문으로]
54. come clean ; (사실을) 털어놓다(=confess) [본문으로]
55. precedent ; 2. [C , U] 전례 [본문으로]
56. unintended ; [형용사] (효과・결과・의미가) 의도하지 않은 [본문으로]
57. detain ; 1. (경찰서・교도소 ・병원 등에) 구금[억류]하다 [본문으로]
58. take power ; 정권을 잡다 [본문으로]
59. espionage charges ; 스파이 활동 혐의 [본문으로]
60. hostile act ; (군사) 적대행위(敵對行爲), 적대 세력의 아군의 영토 국민 재산에 대한 공격 및 무력행위. [본문으로]
61. bargaining chip ; [명사] (협상을 자기에게 유리하게 이끄는 데 도움이 되는) 협상 카드, 비방(秘方)(교섭을 유리하게 이끌어 내기 위한 수단)(=something that can be used to win concessions) [본문으로]
62. political asylum ; (정치 망명자에 대한) 망명국 정부의 보호, 정치적 망명 [본문으로]
63. proselytize ; [동사] (격식 흔히 못마땅함) 개종[전향]시키려 하다 ;; US [|prɑ:sələtaɪz] UK [|prɒsələtaɪz] [본문으로]
64. in captivity ; 포로가 되어 [본문으로]
65. congressman ; [명사] (pl. -men[-mən, -mèn]) [종종 C~] [미] 국회의원, ((특히)) 하원 의원 [본문으로]
66. roughly ; 1. 대략, 거의 [본문으로]
67. advise against ; …에 반대 의견을 제시하다, …을 반대하다 [본문으로]
68. gulag ; 1. (구소련의) 교정(矯正) 노동 수용소 관리국(1934-60); = GULAG ARCHIPELAGO 2. [g~] (특히 사상·정치범의) 강제 노동 수용소 ;; US.UK [ɡú:lɑ:ɡ] [본문으로]
69. stay[keep] away from ; …을 가까이하지 않다, …에서 떨어져 있다 [본문으로]
70. brag ; [동사] -gg- ~ to sb (about/of sth) (못마땅함) (심하게) 자랑하다[떠벌리다] [본문으로]
71. travel company ; 여행사 [본문으로]
72. backer ; [명사] (특히 재정적) 후원자 [본문으로]
73. tyrannical ; [형용사] (또한 격식 tyr・an・nous / |tɪrənəs /) 폭군의, 압제적인 ;; US.UK [tɪ|rӕnɪkl] [본문으로]
74. estimate at ; …로 추정하다[예측하다]. [본문으로]
75. backward ; 2. 뒷걸음질하는, 퇴보하는 3. 발전이 더딘, 낙후된 [본문으로]
76. interaction ; 1. 상호 작용, 상호의 영향; [컴퓨터] 대화 [본문으로]
77. embargo ; [명사] pl. -oes ~ (on sth) 금수(禁輸) 조치, 통상 금지령 [본문으로]
78. outside world ; [명사] 외부 세계; 생소한 장소. [본문으로]
79. yet another ; 꼬리를 물고, 잇따라, 잇따른, 또 하나의 [본문으로]
80. Snyder ; 스나이더 [본문으로]
81. Council on Foreign Relations ; 미국의 초당파적, 비영리 멤버쉽 기관으로서 미국의 외교 정책 및 국제관계와 전 세계의 이슈를 다루고 있으며 가장 영향력 있는 씽크탱크 역할을 하고 있다. 이 기관은 1921년에 뉴욕을 본부로 하여 창설되었으며 ‘Foreign Affairs’란 저널을 격월로 발행하고 있다. [본문으로]
82. think-tank ; [NOUN] A think-tank is a group of experts who are gathered together by an organization, especially by a government, in order to consider various problems and try and work out ways to solve them. [본문으로]
83. concern about[for, over, with] ; …에 대한 관심[염려]. [본문으로]
84. zeal ; [U , C] ~ (for/in sth) (격식) 열의, 열성 [본문으로]
85. continental ; 3. [명사 앞에만 씀] 북미 대륙의 [본문으로]
86. mount ; 3. 설치하다, 앉히다 ((on)); <포를> 탑재하다, 갖추다 [본문으로]
87. soon after ; 곧 [본문으로]
88. security talks ; 안보 회담 [본문으로]
89. swift ; (swift・er , swift・est) 1. ~ (to do sth) (일・진행 등이) 신속한[재빠른] [본문으로]
90. restriction ; 1. [C] ~ (on sth) (법률・규칙을 통한) 제한[규제] [본문으로]
91. be put in place ; (법률, 제도 따위가) 시행되다, 적용되다 [본문으로]
92. cool head ; [명사] 냉정, 침착; 침착한 사람, 냉정한 두뇌(의 소유자) [본문으로]