Ex-diplomat not expecting role in talks on detained student

The United States is aware of reports that a USA citizen has been detained in North Korea, the State Department said Friday, after Pyongyang declared it had arrested an American student for an unspecified “hostile act”.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a 2016 GOP presidential candidate, tweeted Friday that “North Korea’s arrest of an Ohio college student is inexcusable & he should be released & returned immediately”.

Warmbier is now a student at the University of Virginia.

The state news agency claimed that the student entered North Korea nominally for tourism, though the real intention was to undermine North Korea’s unity under the USA government’s acquiescence and control.

Spokespersons for Ohio’s two US senators said the lawmakers had been in contact with Warmbier’s family.

Hall told The Dayton Daily News that he does not anticipate being called on this time to lobby the North Korean government to release University of Virginia student Otto Warmbier. Also, the official said that shared materials will be limited to those on North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles.

The State Department advises all USA citizens not to travel to North Korea.

Gareth Johnson of China-based Young Pioneer Tours confirmed Mr Warmbier was on one of its tours and said he had been detained in North Korea on January 2. In Dec. 2014, a trilateral information sharing pact was signed by South Korea, the USA, and Japan for the sharing of all forms of intelligence on the North Korean nuclear and missile threat in “oral, visual, electronic, magnetic or documentary form”. “You have to be careful what you say”.

Fowle said in 2014 he had left a Bible in a North Korean nightclub in hopes it would reach underground Christians. Warmbier is the third known Westerner to be held in North Korea. Critics say such trips have provided diplomatic credibility to the North. Five-party talks have been pursued several times by South Korea, the United States, and Japan since the six-party talks first began in 2003, but never materialized because of China and Russia’s objections.

A spokesperson for the University of Virginia, said the University does not operate study overseas programs in North Korea, but that the University has been in touch with Warmbier’s family.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.