The father of the late Otto Warmbier, an American student who was jailed in North Korea, will attend the Olympic opening ceremony in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Fred Warmbier will attend as the guest of Vice President Mike Pence, The Washington Post reported Sunday. His son died last year upon his return to the United States after having suffered extensive brain damage. The Warmbiers also attended the State of the Union as guests of President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump.
Warmbier has spoken to CNN about his son’s detainment and death, saying Otto was “on his deathbed” when he returned to the United States.
“Otto was systematically tortured and intentionally injured by Kim Jong [Un] … Kim, and his regime. This was no accident,” he told CNN in September.
Otto Warmbier died in Ohio in 2016 shortly after being released from 17 months in a North Korean prison.
Warmbier was taken into custody by North Korean authorities during a five day sightseeing tour of the reclusive state, who accused him of stealing a political poster from a restricted floor on his hotel.