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The family of an American college student who died days after being released from North Korea in a coma says the 22-year-old "has completed his journey home".
Key points:
- Otto Warmbier was in state of "unresponsive wakefulness"
- Donald Trump calls North Korea a "brutal regime"
- Student had been sentenced to 15 years of hard labour
Otto Warmbier died on Monday, relatives said in a statement. They did not cite a specific cause of death.
"Unfortunately, the awful, torturous mistreatment our son received at the hands of the North Koreans ensured that no other outcome was possible beyond the sad one we experienced today," his parents said.
Doctors had described Mr Warmbier's condition as a state of "unresponsive wakefulness" and said he suffered a "severe neurological injury" of unknown cause.
He arrived in Ohio on June 13 after being held for more than 17 months.
The University of Virginia student was accused of trying to steal a propaganda banner while visiting with a tour group and was convicted of subversion.
He was put before North Korean officials and journalists for a televised "confession".
"I have made the worst mistake of my life!" he exclaimed, choking up as he begged to be allowed to reunite with his parents and two younger siblings.
He was sentenced in March 2016 to 15 years in prison with hard labour. His family said it was told he had been in a coma since soon after his sentencing.
Doctors said he suffered extensive loss of brain tissue and "profound weakness and contraction" of his muscles, arms and legs.
His eyes opened and blinked but without any sign that he understood verbal commands or his surroundings.
Unresponsive wakefulness is a new medical term for persistent vegetative state. Patients in this condition who have survived a coma can open their eyes, but they do not respond to commands.
People can live in a state of unresponsive wakefulness for many years with the chances of recovery depending on the extent of the brain injury.
North Korea said Mr Warmbier went into a coma after contracting botulism and taking a sleeping pill.
Doctors in Cincinnati said they found no active sign of botulism or evidence of beatings.
In a White House statement, President Donald Trump said: "A lot of bad things happened, but at least we got him home to be with his parents."
He called North Korea a "brutal regime".
Seoul urges Pyongyang to return detainees swiftly
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said North Korea should swiftly return South Koreans and Americans detained in the reclusive nation and that it had "a heavy responsibility" in the death of Mr Warmbier.
Three US citizens, who are ethnic Koreans, and six South Koreans remain in custody in North Korea.
In an interview with CBS News, Mr Moon said that while "we cannot know for sure that North Korea killed Mr Warmbier … I believe it is quite clear that they have a heavy responsibility in the process that led to Mr Warmbier's death".
"I believe we must now have the perception that North Korea is an irrational regime."
South Korea's Blue House cited Mr Moon separately as saying: "It is very deplorable that North Korea does not respect human rights."
The South Korean Government will make every effort for the return of those held in North Korea, presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun told a briefing.
North Korea said last month it was its sovereign right to "ruthlessly punish" US citizens it had detained for crimes against the state.
AP/Reuters
Topics: world-politics, foreign-affairs, death, law-crime-and-justice, united-states, korea-democratic-people-s-republic-of, asia
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