What happened to US citizens like Otto Warmbier detained in North Korea

Since the guns of the Korean War fell soundless connected 27 July 1953, tens of thousands of US troops person remained successful South Korea to formed a wary oculus crossed the 38th parallel to North Korea.

Together with their South Korean allies, US forces regularly behaviour large-scale subject drills connected the peninsula, often drafting aggravated rebukes from Pyongyang's government.

But contempt these tensions and a deficiency of ceremonial diplomatic relations betwixt the US and North Korea, a tiny but dependable watercourse of Americans person visited the state connected organised tours - sometimes with unsafe results.

"Do not question to North Korea owed to the continuing superior hazard of apprehension and semipermanent detention of US nationals," reads a sternly worded question informing connected the US State Department's website. "The US authorities is incapable to supply exigency services to US citizens successful North Korea."

US citizens person been detained successful North Korea respective times since 1996, including tourists, scholars and journalists.

In July 2017, the US authorities banned US citizens from visiting the state - a determination that has since been extended until astatine slightest August this year.

Here are immoderate of the astir notable cases from the past decade.

Otto Warmbier, a pupil astatine the University of Virginia, was arrested portion visiting North Korea arsenic portion of a circuit radical successful January 2016. The visit, organised by a China-based fund circuit relation that specialises successful off-the-beaten-track destinations, was a five-day travel to acquisition North Korea during the New Year's Eve period. His begetter aboriginal told the Washington Post that helium was "curious astir their culture" and "wanted to conscionable the radical of North Korea".

About 2 months aft his detention connected 2 January, a North Korean tribunal sentenced Otto Warmbier to 15 years' imprisonment with hard labour connected charges that helium attempted to bargain a propaganda poster.

Shortly aft the sentencing, Mr Warmbier suffered a neurological wounded nether unclear circumstances.

He was freed - earnestly sick - 17 months aft his arrest, and died successful a infirmary six days aft returning to the US successful June 2017.

US doctors described Mr Warmbier arsenic being successful a authorities of "unresponsive wakefulness", but the Warmbier household said calling this a coma was "unfair".

His begetter said erstwhile they saw his lad helium was "moving around, and jerking violently, making these howling and inhuman sounds".

His caput was shaved, helium was unsighted and deaf, his arms and legs were "totally deformed" and helium had a immense scar connected his foot, helium said. It "looked similar idiosyncratic had taken a brace of pliers and rearranged his bottommost teeth".

"Otto was systematically tortured and intentionally injured by Kim and his regime. This was nary accident," his begetter said.

A US national tribunal aboriginal recovered North Korea liable for Otto Warmbier's torture and death.

While North Korea did not formally contention the charges, it has repeatedly denied immoderate wrongdoing.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency claimed helium was provided aesculapian attraction "with each sincerity" contempt having "no crushed to amusement mercy to specified a transgression of the force state".

It besides claimed that North Korea was "the biggest victim" of the decease and consequent "smear campaign" by the US.

In October 2018, North Korea announced that Bruce Byron Lowrance - a 60-year-old from Michigan - had been detained portion entering the state illegally from China.

US authorities aboriginal revealed that a antheral matching his sanction and statement had been detained astatine the demilitarised portion separating North and South Korea. The antheral had allegedly told investigators that helium believed that his sojourn would assistance easiness geopolitical tensions betwixt the 2 countries.

Mr Lowrance was released astir a period aft being detained, which US officials suggested whitethorn person been an effort to amended relations with the US pursuing high-profile talks betwixt Kim Jong Un and past US President Donald Trump.

He has not commented publically connected his detention and consequent release.

Matthew Miller, a 24-year-old teacher from California, was taken into custody by North Korean authorities and charged with "hostile" espionage acts portion connected an organised circuit successful April 2014.

North Korean authorities aboriginal alleged helium admitted to a "wild ambition" of exploring the state and investigating conditions there.

He was sentenced to six years' imprisonment with hard labour successful September 2014. In interviews earlier and aft his release, helium said helium spent overmuch of his clip digging successful fields, moving stones and taking retired weeds, but was different mostly kept successful strict isolation.

Mr Miller was released the pursuing period with different American detainee, Kenneth Bae.

In a aboriginal interrogation with writer Nate Thayer of the North Korea-focused NK News site, Mr Miller said helium went to North Korea with the volition of defecting and getting to "speak to an mean North Korean idiosyncratic astir mean things", careless of politics.

"I was trying to enactment successful the country," Mr Miller said. "They wanted maine to leave. The precise archetypal nighttime they said, 'We privation you to permission connected the adjacent flight.' But I refused. I conscionable did not leave."

In the interview, Mr Miller said helium yet "changed his mind" astir seeking asylum and requested assistance from the US government.

The antheral released with Mr Miller, Washington authorities nonmigratory Kenneth Bae, was arrested successful November 2012.

A Korean-American Evangelical Christian missionary, helium had visited the state galore times. On this juncture helium was stopped and a hard thrust with Christian worldly was discovered.

North Korea levelled an array of charges for what it called Mr Bae's "hostile acts" including attempting to found bases for anti-government activities, smuggling successful forbidden literature, and encouraging dissidents.

He was sentenced to 15 years with hard labour, with authorities media suggesting that helium lone escaped the decease punishment arsenic a effect of a "candid confession".

During his clip successful captivity, his household said that his wellness deteriorated arsenic a effect of mediocre conditions and hard labour. Part of his captivity was spent successful a labour campy for foreigners successful which helium was the lone inmate.

Mr Bae was released and returned to the US on with Mr Miller pursuing a concealed sojourn to Pyongyang by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

After his release, Mr Bae wrote a memoir, "Not Forgotten: The True Story of My Imprisonment successful North Korea" successful which helium said that helium was interrogated from 08:00 successful the greeting until 22:00 oregon 23:00 astatine nighttime each time for the archetypal 4 weeks of his imprisonment.

His interrogators demanded hundreds of pages of confessions.

He said 1 interrogator kept telling him: "No-one remembers you. You person been forgotten by people, your government. You're not going location anytime soon. You'll beryllium present for 15 years. You'll beryllium 60 earlier you spell home".