Korean War vet detained in North Korean wonderland
Several of you have sent us the link to an article about an 85-year-old Korean War vet, Merrill Newman, who went to experience the wonderful Stalinist paradise that is North Korea, but surprisingly, after government officials removed him from his return flight, no one has seen or heard from him since;
The son said that, according to his father’s traveling companion, Newman earlier had a “difficult” discussion with North Korean officials about his experiences during the 1950-53 war between U.S.-led United Nations forces and North Korea and ally China. That war ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the Korean Peninsula still technically at war. The war is still an important part of North Korean propaganda, which regularly accuses Washington and Seoul of trying to bring down its political system — statements analysts believe are aimed in part at shoring up domestic support for young leader Kim Jong Un.
I guess this is the first time it ever happened, otherwise, why would the vet travel to a country that he fought against and have a “difficult discussion” with one of the current residents. I’m not saying that it was his fault, but he should have put a little more thought into the trip.
From Fox News;
Jeffrey Newman said his father was a constant traveler but had always wanted to visit North Korea, and took lessons in the language before leaving on the nine-day trip.
“This has been a lifelong dream of his,” Jeffrey Newman said.
Newman said he believed the desire for the trip came from the three years his father spent as an infantry officer in the Korean war, but said Merrill Newman never talked about his service.
Jeffrey Newman said he’d had received postcards from his father saying the trip was going well, but on the last day of the tour, according to Hamrdla, Merrill Newman met with North Korean officials and he came away with some uneasy feelings.
While I hope this is resolved soon, I also hope that others who think that going to North Korea is a good idea consider this before going. Did you really leave anything there worth the trip?
Category: North Korea
Obviously we need a seasoned and skilled diplomat to help mediate this situation….anyone have Dennis Rodman’s number on speed-dial?
One would think that after seeing first hand what the Norks are capable of he would have put more thought into this. That being said I pray for his safe return.
Never went back to Vietnam and never, ever will. Not a thing there I missed, except the friends I lost. But they are not there anymore so there is nothing for me to see. I can’t imagine a current Iraq or Afghanistan vet wanting to go back to visit those shit holes either.
Visiting Norkland if you’re a Korean War vet is rather like visiting Siberia in the middle of winter. Don’t do it.
The Norks must have sniffed out somehow that he was there during the Korean War. I just hope he gets back safely.
Norks are off in their own little world. They are so stupid they donr even know they are stupid, which makes them very dangerous.
At 85, I would wonder about cognition in a man who wanted to go to an unstable and hostile country on vacation, for ANY reason. The Norks are likely to give him the chance to die of something other than old age.
It’s difficult to understand why anyone would want to go to that shithole in the first place. You are surveilled, your guides are gov’t agents, you can’t go where you are not preapproved to go, you can’t take photos, your calls are monitored. You go where the state permits. You see only what the state wants you to see. Hell, daily power outages are routine and if you are say anything that can be construed as subversive speech, it’s your ass.
@3, I have no desire whatsoever to see Iraq again. Seen all I needed to in my 30 combined months there.
I’m probably a little strange in this respect, but I would love to go back to Iraq as a tourist, it’s one of the most historically rich regions on the planet and I thoroughly enjoyed the fleeting moments I was able to devote to some minor explorations.
That said, there is no way in hell I would do it while the country is so unstable. I’d need to see years of successful tourism and stability before I would seriously consider it.
I hope the guy makes it home safe, but I gotta agree, North Korea as a tourist destination for any westerner right now was, and is, a pretty stupid idea.
@8: Yes, I have a burning desire to return to Baghdad and drive over to Rusafa/Sadr City to break bread with the JAM rocketeers and mortar maggots who rained countless IDF on me while I was operating out of the IZ and Phoenix Base during 06-07. Yup, I should get online to Travelocity right now…
I agree with Jacobite, seeing something like the Ziggaurat at Ur again would be nice (and there are lots of other historically significant sites I never got to see), but not until there is some stability in the country.
Were they reasonably safe, I’d love to go back to both Afghanistan and Iraq. Both are fascinating places, and I didn’t get a chance to see much of either while there. I only saw glimpses of the Hindu Kush in the distance, and I never got a chance to see either the Oxus or the reputed mother of all cities, Bactra. Or to visit the ruins of Babylon.
However, neither looks to be particularly safe for Western visitors any time soon. And under present conditions in both . . . let’s just say I’m not stupid.
So I’ll stay out of both on anything but official business in the service of Uncle Sam. And the last is looking less and less likely daily.
As for this guy: I do indeed hope he makes it back safe and sound – even though I think he’s an absolute dumbass for going.
@1: I was thinking more along the lines of a prisoner swap: Dennis Rodman for Mr. Newman.
I see this as a PR grab by the Norks, who will stop at nothing to make asses of themselves and grin while they do it. Obviously, there is something going on here about the Korean War. I’m sure that there is a list in a file some place that has all the names of all the US troops who served there during that event, and if even one of those old men sets foot on Nork soil, he’s toast.
If this is not an excuse to force some sort of issue — say, ransom money or whatever – on the US, through the Swedes, then Kim JR is a bit more clever than I thought he was.
Fellows,
I just returned back from Des Moines and seen this blog, and being myself a Korean War Veteran I can tell everyone “ITS NOT WORTH THE TRIP”, and he should have not gone pass the border. I can tell everyone that we have people working right at this minute to have him released. I’ll get back to everyone soon as I hear from the National KWVA, Thanks for your concern and thoughts.
Sam Naomi
Sadly, they will probably try to hold him as a war Criminal, and make a big production of a war crimes tribunal.
I don’t know what Mr. Newman’s religion is, although I don’t think it matters. But you can put in a prayer request for his safe return at this link. http://www.frkapaun.org/
The prayer request is in the directory on the left hand side of the page.
Still no word on Merril Newman.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/22/us-korea-detention-north-idUSBRE9AL0TQ20131122
Why would they take him off a plane that was about to depart, unless they had a roster of American soldiers from the Korean War?
@18 PH2
Because apparently he got into an argument/disagreement with one of the tour guides over their version of history about the Korean War
Which is you watch any NORK travel documentaries on YouTube you will see is a HUGE no-no
Which is why I will never go to Norkland in the first place. Besides, you never, ever get into an argument with someone who has been brainwashed since birth.