The U.S. State Department has confirmed third-year Commerce student Otto Warmbier, who has been detained in North Korea since Jan. 2, was visited by a representative from the Swedish Embassy Wednesday.
In a press conference Feb. 28, Warmbier confessed to attempting to steal a political sign from the Yanggakdo International Hotel in Pyongyang.
State Department Spokesman John Kirby has confirmed Warmbier’s detainment in the DPRK.
"There is no greater priority for us than the welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad,” Kirby said in a statement.
Kirby said a representative from the Swedish Embassy met with Warmbier March 2. He has previously noted the United States’ relationship with the embassy, which Warmbier’s parents said was working to secure their son’s release in a statement last month.
The Swedish Embassy is the United States’ Protecting Power in North Korea because the U.S. does not have formal diplomatic relations with the DPRK.
“A representative from the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang, which serves as the Protecting Power for U.S. citizens in North Korea, visited Mr. Warmbier on March 2, 2016,” Kirby said. “We are in regular, close coordination with the Swedes. We have no further information to share at this time."
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