SEOUL: Ohio’s governor urged President Barack Obama’s administration on Saturday to push North Korea to release a US university student who is being held there.
Republican presidential candidate John Kasich has written to the Democratic president asking that “every effort” be made to secure release of Otto Warmbier and that his Cincinnati-area family be kept apprised of the efforts.
The State Department said little about the case Friday, other than it was “aware of media reports” that a US citizen was detained.
Kasich says North Korea should either produce immediate evidence of Warmbier’s alleged anti-state activities or release him immediately. North Korea announced his arrest Friday.
Kasich says in his letter released Friday afternoon that North Korea arrests US citizens for diplomatic negotiation motives or to antagonize the United States.
Obama urged to press N. Korea to release American student
