Fred Warmbier, the father of the American student who was jailed in North Korea and died six days after his return to the United States, will attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in South Korea with Vice President Mike Pence, the Washington Post reports.
Otto Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labor for allegedly stealing a propaganda poster during a guided tour in North Korea. One month after his sentencing he suffered a neurological injury, and later fell into a coma as a result of botulism and a sleeping pill, according to North Korean authorities.
Fred Warmbier, who criticized the Obama administration for not doing enough to bring their son back, attended President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address and told the Post afterward the experience was, “very emotional,” but that he “felt good” about Trump honoring his son.
Pence will lead the U.S. delegation in South Korea, and the Post reports his intention is to focus, “almost exclusively on continuing the United States’ pressure campaign on North Korea.”
The official ceremony for the Winter Olympics kicks off on Feb. 9.
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