Otto Warmbier’s parents seek compensation from N. Korea

The parents of Otto Warmbier, an American university student who died in a coma after being detained in North Korea, have demanded some 1.1 billion dollars (around 1.24 trillion won) in compensation from the North, Voice of America reported Tuesday.

According to a U.S. court document, the family requested in October that North Korea provide compensation for punitive damages along with three other compensatory damages. The largest portion was taken by punitive damages. The legal team representing the family has demanded a total of 1.05 billion dollars to the Warmbiers, 350 million dollars each for Warmbier and his parents, Fred and Cindy. They have stressed that the family should request high compensation from Pyongyang at least to send a stern message to the regime.

In the meantime, the United Nations adopted a resolution on North Korea’s human rights abuses by consensus at a General Assembly session in New York on Monday (local time). It marked the 14th consecutive year the United Nations has passed such a resolution calling for improvement in the human rights of North Korean people. South Korea also joined the adoption as one of 61 contributing countries.

Expressing concern over “the long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights” in and by North Korea, the resolution urged the regime to take immediate action including shutting down prison camps and releasing political prisoners. Also, the possible referral of the situation to the International Criminal Court and further sanctions to “target effectively those who appear to be most responsible for human rights violations,” an apparent reference to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, were mentioned for five years in a row.


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