American detained in North Korea
By Elise Labott
An American citizen has been detained in North Korea for more than a month, U.S. officials said Tuesday.
The U.S. government does not believe that Kenneth Bae, who has traveled to North Korea several times before, is being mistreated, a U.S. official told CNN.
The Swedish government, which acts as the protecting power for the U.S. in North Korea, is working to get consular access and trying to get him released, the official said.
Bae's detention was first reported by South Korean newspapers, which said that Bae, a tour operator, entered North Korea at the port city of Rajin accompanied by five other tourists. Bae and the group were on a five-day trip to the country, according to South Korea's Yonhap News.
One of the tour members was carrying a computer hard disk "that apparently contained sensitive information," Yonhap News reported, citing a Korean-language paper.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland would only say that the United States was aware of the reports of Bae's detention, but because of privacy considerations, it would not discuss the issue further.
"We obviously have no higher priority than the welfare of our citizens. As you may know we have no representation in Pyongyang. The embassy of Sweden acts as our protecting power for issues involving U.S. citizens in North Korea," Nuland said Tuesday.
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196 countries in the world, at least 170 are friendly to the US, WHY IN THE WOLRD DOES ANYONE HAVE TO TRAVEL INTO NORTH KOREA? WHAT FOR?
It seems to me, that every year theres an idiot or a group of idiots hat love to travel to these unfriendly countries, get captured and then millions of american dollars have to be spent securing their release. I oppose this, I'm sorry but he knew where he was going, this is not a surprise, you go into North Korea, you deal with it. Let him be, he's happy there, that's where he wanted to go, well let him enjoy it.
Theres no Mcdonalds in North Korea. Clearly he was asking for it.
I blame on Bush agian!
when u pay for bush's wars u can stop blaming him for crashing this economy until then...
nice bridge and highway in the pic! but where are the ox carts that they were built for? Leave the idiot there. more FREE air for me to breathe right here in the good ole USA.
so that's a pic of rush hour in north korea....hmmmmm makes for a nice commute
Leave him. He knew the consequences of getting caught. He should just deal with it.
do humanity a favor and hang yourself. you're worthless.
ignorant much?
"Bae, a tour operator,"
"One of the tour members was carrying a computer hard disk "that apparently contained sensitive information," "
you so stupid get some common sense jack ass
Bush's fault again, or that darn YouTube video!
Are you mad, or simply a republican?.........
Looks like a good country: There is not much traffic on the streets.
If US citizens want to go to countries like N Korea they are on their own. The US should not spend one penny or minute of time worrying about them.
When I see a story like this ... what I really see is the CIA with its kcid in the dirt.
Let him rot away. US citizens shouldn't be going anywhere near places like North Korea or Iran. They get what they deserve by being there.
I've been to Iran and North Korea. Returned home safely. You're an idiot.
So by simply going there he now "deserves to rot?"
you are a total moron.
for all you know he was there volunteering as an aid-worker.
Even if he is military so what? does that mean he "deserves to rot?"
grow up
Why you calling some one a moron? It says right in the story he organized tour groups into NK.
What I do know is it takes one to know one !! Only a flat out fool would go there unless to report news that was censored or government talks or to spy.
Let him rot!!
And what of the countless individuals who've gotten what they haven't deserved just by being here?
aren't you a kind one
yeah tour guides deserve what they get when tour members anger a country....
ignorant
funny how everyone admits this , yet when Bush called it such the left ridiculed hm for ruining our reputation with the rest of the world. Nowadays it seems everyone liberal is so interested in playing along with govt again and actually "caring" about foreign policy and getting the govt handouts and seeing the govt as "so compassionate" to its citizens.
This Hermit Kingdom has been isolated by the US . The US has over 55,000 troops ready to attack at moments notice. The US and South Korea play war games in they're waters. It has been like this for over 60 years. I think they might watch you're every move . It's about they're security.
Your facts are as good as your spelling. They have over 1 million soldiers on their side. Do you really think we would attack at a moment's notice outnumbered 20-1 (boy Bush and Obama and all presidents for the past 55 years have really missed an opportunity- huh)? Also, we have never had war games on their side of the line- but they have sunk a S. Korean destroyer on the south side and shelled the South as well. If you google any of the "Dear Leader's" speeches, the North is always the one threatening the South's destruction- when have you heard that from the South or the US? But hey- if you like them that much- move there- they will love you...and your grammar.
your're
Yep your right, during the Korean war the US used biological weapons against them although the US denies that. They have every right to be paranoid, as you said it's about defense, the US has a long history of invading countries.
Wait a second, you mean to tell me an American actually went to North Korea of his own free will?
Well, it's obvious that N. Korea will never rely on tourism for a major source of income.
I have been to NK. It is one of the most interesting places I have visited. Yes, most everything is staged and you are not free to wander at will, but I'd certainly go back.
I am not him, so I don't care.
I used to live in South Korea. I went to the DMZ, and that was plenty close for me. I don't fault anyone who's curious/brave enough to visit NK. In fact, I'd love to see what's going on in that country, but I value my freedom too much to risk it. How can you say that he got what he deserves? He's a spy, or a tourist, but he doesn't deserve to be treated like an idiot. And what does Obama have to do with it? 4 years of blaming the black man for any and everything that goes wrong, here we come.
I don't think anyone sees the real NK by visiting. Providing that regime with foreign currency is only helping the government and the military. The cost of the mandatory government tour program is horrendous considering everything is staged, and you are prohibited free movement, use of your cellphone, and are monitored at all times.
Brian- why is Obama – the black man? His mother was white and he was raised by her mother (also white). If color of skin is what makes your determination – than all albinos are white men? As far as this guy being detained... having recently returned from a tour in Seoul (military tour) – I'm irritated with people who go to places that are known problem areas and then guess who has to come get them out (in far too many cases) at the risk of our lives. Tourists – stay out of where you aren't welcome, for crying out loud!
He's a black man because that's how the sociological construct that is "black" is defined (and has historically been defined) in the US. Note that this definition was created by white people.
@Lesile I can speak as to why Obama is considered black even though he has a white mother. 13 years after having me (I'm Caucasian) She remarried a African American man and had 5 more kids. Their birth certificates all have them listed as African American even though two of them are very pale with blonde hair and blue eyes. I have dark hair and eyes and tan look far more "ethnic" than all but my two of my siblings. In the U.S. they determine your race by the father. The presidents father is African American thus so is Obama he could be purple with pink poka dots and still he would be listed as African American.
what does Obama have to do with it? and what does him being black have to do with anything? who cares he's black??
When Bush was president you clowns even blamed him for bad weather. Get a grip on reality, "what goes around, comes around". Quit being a donkey.
Ha. A huge sector of the country cares that he's black, unfortunately. The racist part. The vitriolic racism coming from some who voted against him, especially people from the south, was palpable. And why is he called black when his mother was white? Because that's how he is seen in this country. Do you know how many people call him by the "N" word? Racists see a person with a drop of black blood as black. Historically, that was the law. In any event, "half-black" Obama is more black genetically than most African Americans because his father is straight from Africa. Black people here have mixed with whites for hundreds of years. But it shouldn't matter at all. Ironically, it's often racists who ask why anyone cares about the color of his skin.
And yeah, he has nothing to do with this story.
anna, your comment is just about the most idiotic that i have ever read. i'm a lifelong democrat and wonder where you get off calling southerners racist, and why it is that when 95% of blacks and 50% of whites vote for Obama that you call whites the racists, when it is a fact that the voting statistics prove just the opposite? Then, you make a statement without merit or basis –"Ironically, it's often racists who ask why anyone cares about the color of his skin" - as if it were a fact??!!?? Seriously, you're the very same uneducated name-caller and bigot you so ineptly try to stereotype...
yeah well we still got millions blaming 9-11 as an inside job and millions still blaming Bush and millions still blaming slavery and millions still blaming the founding fathers for killing native Americans, what the heck is your point? Grow up and smell the liberal brainwashing...
let him rot. he should not have been there
you have no class, halfwit
You are right, he is a libtard, just like you.
nope, wrong again clownshoes
better a halfwit than a dimwit like you displacedmic...
how do you figure?
Yep.
This guy is caught red-handed, he must be a spy or trying to help a spy do some dirty work. NK is a country full of intelligent and patriotic citizens who can smell a spy from ten miles.
Let us admit it, and apologise to NK government, and bring him back to his family home for the holidays.
If not, go fall on a sword.
They believe their former leader was a rainbow God who came to earth on a ray of sunshine. Let's reconsider that intelligence comment of yours.
Haha this guy deserves comedy award of the year.
At least working for the Dear Leader shill you don't have to worry about all the bark being stripped for food from the trees due to famine in the park near where you live huh?
So says the semen belching troll
This guy is caught red-handed, he must be a spy or trying to help a spy do some dirty work. NK is a country full of intelligent and patriotic citizens who can smell a spy from tem miles.
Let us admit it, and apologise to NK government, and bring him back to his family home for the holidays.
HAHA North Koreans intelligent? What are you smoking?
I guess that neither Barack Obama nor any other idiot in Washington will have enough sense to talk to the North Koreans in order to get this man out. This is true stupidity at it's worse and besides, any idiot like Barack Obama who deems being politically correct more important than a man's life, cannot be a very savory nor a morally principled person!
You are the real idiot here. Obama has nothing to do with this situation. The state department and Swedish Consulate will work on the situation. What a stupid morone you are....probably a bitter Republican who lost the election....
or just a democrat who doesn't care for Obama. I know, quite a concept, hunh?
So you call Obama an idiot, then you use the words "deems" and "savory" in the wrong context. Is he a steak? Does he taste all savory and delicious? Come on, man. Stop embarrassing yourself.
Well done, Eric. I think you found a troll!
Try learning proper grammar and syntax before posting your uninformed rants in the future, genius. In regards to the actual subject of the article, if you're stupid enough to enter North Korea voluntarily don't come crying that your own government, that CLEARLY warns citizens against travel there, can't get you out at the drop of a dime.
I think Obama will show his greatness once again by going to N Korea, bowing and kissing dear leaders hand like he did to the Saudi King, give him a couple billion of your tax dollars in food aid and all will be well again in the world.
If you travel anyplace to a country which hates you then your taking a chnace and for sure this Administration will do nothing at all, but you voted him in.
You lost. Suck it.
Idiot !
yeah...we all did...
and no, i'm not a republican
You're all free to leave anytime.
I'll consider leaving when just SOME of the worshipped democrat actors who said they would leave if Bush were elected go.
WRONG, we all LOST, you just aren't bright enough to see it yet. You will, bye and bye.
Can't possibly be any worse than 8 years of the AWOL Texas Air National Guard child of privlege.
First, you Repugs complain that Obama does too much for his citizens and then you complain he doesn't do enough. Do you really wonder why you are on the road to extinction?
I am American, I visited there recently to see it for myself. I really enjoyed the experience, the country is beautiful, the people are nice. Yeah most probably hate Americans, but only your guides know you American. About 2000 Americans visit a year. It is a very strange place. You are not touring as much as you are on a tour. There are plenty of reputable tour operators that have taken 1000's of Americans in without incident. You really have to do something crazy/disrespectful to the leaders or past leaders to get detained. As far as safety abroad, there is no crime, no kidnappings, no threat of a bad traffic accident(because there are barely any cars). The guides we had were awesome. I would go back for a few days again.
So because you went there "without incident" this guy did something crazy or disrespectful to get himself detained?
You could have said the same kinds of things about Stalin's Russia. In fact, NK is the last Stalist dictatorship on earth. Yes, there is less crime in a country that puts you and your family in a horrid labor camp for owning a radio or cell phone, but that's not exactly a selling point about how great the place is. These people have been traumatized and brainwashed for decades. Their founding "great leader" was cowering on his knees during the Korea War begin Stalin and Mao to protect him. They did and the Korean people have been enslaved and tormented ever since. I hope justice comes one day.
Good and unbiased post but you are still forgetting that they house and maintain a concentration camp system all around the country that makes holocaust era concentration camps look like a summer Boy Scouts camp.
The Korean people in general are very well-mannered, respectful, and self-disciplined by nature. It is so deep within our culture that even both South and North Koreans have such same characteristics. However, North Korea maintains the old method of Asian imperialism where the emperor/king/ruler is God. And while Kim Jong Un as a leader hasn't really done anything terrible, he hasn't improved the lifestyle of his people all that much. Forms of westernization ARE being introduced to North Korea such as amusement parks and western style foods; things they consider won't "interfere" with what they perceive as the "rightful" way of living. None of it changes the fact that they still hold more than 750,000 people in concentration camps where mothers boil their own infant babies as food.
How do they taste?
Good for you for going, and I'm sure Korean's are nice people, but by spending your money there you are just supporting the NK government. Why would you want to do that? Also, you must know that "tour" is a dog and pony show, right?
DUH
why the fluck would you even want to go to north korea?
I no wan go dare! Day gim me bad harecut!
yeah...that country has no Seoul
HAHAHA that was a great one man
If I had a reasonable chance of returning, I definitely would like to visit North Korea. Just out of curiosity, I would enjoy talking to the locals about their lives, ambitions and dreams....The same for their leaders too. Much of the information we get about the North is 3rd and 4th hand South Korean propaganda anyway!
Ambitions and dreams??? Yes, the jack_ass of the year award goes to you!
Yeah, that cracked me up, too.
I can answer that for you. Government minders will ALWAYS be with you if you were to realistically visit North Korea. Thus, even if the locals wanted to tell you sommething else, they will mention their great leader as an answer to all your questions.
I have been there. You cannot talk to the "locals" without a minder present and I think the "locals" may well have been punished for speaking to us. You live in a delusional world if you think you can just sit down and chat with them.
tour operator??? yeah, tourism to north korea is a huge industry. everyone wants to see their rocket launch pads... hubba hubba... this bonehead deserves to spend some quality time in n.korear's prison system...
I agree, let's not have another serviceman die because of the ego of some pinhead.
if you had any inkling of what NK detention centers were like you wouldn't wish that on anybody.
Nobody deserves that, halfwit.
You don't know that this guy committed any crimes. The "computer disk" might have had nothing sensitive on it at all.
You monster. That's like saying let Kenneth Bae be subjected to Nazi holocaust x3. In these concentration camps, even family members don't trust each other and sometimes mothers boil their own baby for food.
Just like the hikers in Iran...WHY ARE YOU THERE? There is no reason to visit these places....none at all.
Oh, good GOD. If you're an American and are stupid enough to go into North Korea, Iran, Syria, or any of the other nutball nations, you freakin' deserve whatever happens.
Looks like we need Mr. Clinton again. The North Koreans are some of the harshest people on the planet (the haves, not the have nots) I hope this dude gets back safe and sound.
I'm thinking Chubby Cheeks is gonna try to do what his daddy did. Get some famous and influential American bigwig, like ex-president Clinton, to come and bail out the fool. Great publicity and recognition for the isolated regime. It worked before, should work again. ;oD
I wouldn't call them the harshest people in the world... Have you ever heard of Darfus? The REGIME is one of the most strict and harshest in the world. The people are surprisingly and fairly nice. Their rants and desires to "riddle American's with bullets" are just the fanatic words the people throw around to avoid punishment and gain prestige from their regime.
Is that a picture of Pyongpang? Kind of looks like Peoria. Stands to reason since North Korea probably has the same GDP as downstate Illinois if you took away the agriculture and any industry.
Best comment of the day.
North Korea is just under "The Sun" on the list of places I want to visit.
North Korea is gay, yo.
Yeah yo
I've thought of traveling there simply because I want to see things for myself – and not just trust what the government and media tells me. Thousands of US citizens travel there a year with no issues. This guy appears to be the tour operator, and those people are the most likely to be punished for things their clients do. I don't see any articles about US citizens detained in other countries (and there are thousands), why? Because it's not sensational enough.
I think you should look up the word "thousands" and edit you "fact" sheet here.
Wouldn't mind going there myself – but Detroit's closer. And cheaper.
......and safer.
You don't believe what the reporters tell you? Do you think North Korea is actually a plush resort, with sunny beaches, awesome nightclubs and fountains of free booze, but all the reporters in the world are lying about it to keep it secret from redneck Americans?
Yes and this is the same cabal of reporters who are trying to convince Americans that the Earth is not, in fact, only 5000 years old and that dinosaurs bones were fabricated by Satan to decieve Texas schoolchildren.
Best way to not get detained in North Korea: Don't go to North Korea.
Playing with fire and you'll get burn, what an idiot.
N. Korean don't like American, why waste your energy to go there. If you do, then you deserve what comes to you.
The same could be said about many parts of America.
You don't seem to have any clue what you're talking about
Of course,
The same goes to many parts of US or anywhere in the world. If you hear many people get hurt then stay away, if you're dumb enough to find out for your self, then you have nobody to blame.
Majority of the Americans who DO go to North Korea a year are mostly part of the humanitarian aid efforts in American/South Korean joint op for helping civilians in North Korea with medical attention, sometimes food distribution purposes, and for better comfort during chaotic weathers. So no, most people don't go there just to see the sights.
Everything that was worth looking for like historic landmarks were all obliterated from napalm and warfare in the Korean War. This is also a main reason why they really hate Americans; the napalm aerial assault is comparable to what 9/11 is to America but multiply it by 1000
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