North Korea billed US $2M for hospital care of Otto Warmbier: report

[mystery-ak]

North Korea billed US $2M for hospital care of Otto Warmbier: report
By Michael Burke - 04/25/19 12:08 PM EDT

North Korea in 2017 reportedly issued a $2 million bill to the U.S. for the hospital care of American Otto Warmbier, who was in a coma when he was returned to the U.S. and died without regaining consciousness.

The Washington Post reported Thursday that North Korea insisted that a U.S. official sign a pledge to pay the bill before returning Warmbier, an Ohio native who was arrested while visited Pyongyang.

Citing two people familiar with the situation, the Post reported that the U.S. envoy who retrieved Warmbier signed the pledge on instructions from President Trump.

The Post says it's unclear if the Trump administration ultimately paid the bill.

The White House reportedly declined to comment.

more
https://thehill.com/policy/international/440651-north-korea-billed-us-2-million-for-hospital-care-of-otto-warmbier

[cato potatoe]

This is infuriating.  Why did the White House decline to comment?  Did they pay the bill? 

[TomSea]

Trump approved payment of $2 million North Korea bill for care of Warmbier: report
[Reuters]  Reuters•April 25, 2019

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump approved payment of a $2 million bill presented by North Korea to cover its care of comatose American Otto Warmbier, a college student who died shortly after being returned home from 17 months in a North Korean prison, the Washington Post reported on Thursday.

The Post said an invoice was handed to State Department envoy Joseph Yun hours before Warmbier, 22, was flown out of Pyongyang in a coma on June 13, 2017. Warmbier died six days later.

The U.S. envoy, who was sent to retrieve Warmbier, signed an agreement to pay the medical bill on instructions passed down from Trump, the Post reported, citing two unidentified people familiar with the situation.

Read more at: https://news.yahoo.com/trump-approved-payment-2-million-north-korea-bill-002531416.html

Add on: WH declines comment, FWIW, a twitter comment said a source said we did not pay this amount or at least all of it. We'll see. I'll try to follow up, it's a good question.

[mystery-ak]

Trump: 'No money was paid' to North Korea for Otto Warmbier
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/440783-trump-denies-sending-payment-to-north-korea-for-otto-warmbier

[rangerrebew]

 
North Korea sends US $2 million medical bill for Otto Warmbier’s care: report

By Yaron Steinbuch

April 25, 2019 | 1:16pm | Updated
 

North Korea slapped the US with a $2 million bill for the hospital care of Otto Warmbier — forcing an American official to sign a pledge to fork over the money before being allowed to fly the comatose student back home from Pyongyang in 2017, according to a new report.

The US envoy sent to retrieve the University of Virginia student from the rogue regime signed an agreement to pay the bill on instructions passed down from President Trump, two people familiar with the situation told the Washington Post on condition of anonymity.

The invoice ended up at the Treasury Department, where it remained unpaid throughout 2017, the sources said. It was unclear whether Team Trump ultimately paid the bill or whether it came up in the run-up to the president’s two summits with Kim Jong Un.

https://nypost.com/2019/04/25/north-korea-sends-us-2-million-medical-bill-for-otto-warmbiers-care-report/?utm_source=deployer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ConservativeFWD+Daily&utm_content=20190426131028

[QueenCatofAragon]

They should've gotten paid with a small-scale nuke.

[aligncare]

No money was paid for his release.

[edpc]

I would like to think nothing was exchanged for Warbier’s release, but Trump lies about anything and everything, for no reason.