North Korea Televises Detained American's Tearful 'Confession'
Nearly two months after his arrest, North Korea let the world see Otto Frederick Warmbier, a junior at the University of Virginia.
This is the first time the 21-year-old student has been seen by foreign media since his arrest on January 2.
At a televised press conference Monday in Pyongyang, Warmbier apologized for committing a crime "against the people and government" of North Korea.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), better known as North Korea, accused him of trying to take a political banner as a souvenir from a hotel where he was staying.
Reading from a prepared statement, Warmbier reportedly sobbed as he pleaded for forgiveness and his freedom.
North Korea regularly detains American visitors and those who've been set free say they were coerced into confessing made-up crimes.
The State Department warns Americans against traveling to North Korea, pointing to the "risk of arrest and long-term detention due to the DPRK's inconsistent application of its criminal laws."