High-level officials from both the U.S. and North Korea were present at the Olympic events. Warmbier’s father accompanied Vice President Mike Pence to the opening ceremony.
Shortly after Warmbier's death, Trump condemned the regime in an official statement, saying that it “deepens my Administration’s determination to prevent such tragedies from befalling innocent people at the hands of regimes that do not respect the rule of law or basic human decency.”
His death resulted in a travel ban of U.S. citizens to North Korea.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/ottowarmbier-01-rtr-jrl-170927_4x3t_384.jpg\")
Kyodo via Reuters, FILE
PHOTO: Otto Frederick Warmbier, shown at a news conference in Pyongyang, North Korea, Feb. 29, 2016.
North Korea has been known to detain U.S. citizens as political leverage to gain an opportunity for negotiations, Collins said.
“We’re not aware that [Tony Kim] has been formally charged,” said Brandt.
North Korea has detained, pardoned or deported 12 U.S. citizens since 2010, according to information collected by CSIS.
“There have been previous hostages or detainees that have been used in trying to get the U.S. government leaders to visit,\" Collins said. \"It’s not unthinkable that North Korea would be trying to do the same thing now.”
In the meantime, Tony Kim's family say they are hoping for his safe return.
\"My mom, my brother and I miss our dad so much. We're so worried about him and his health. I do want to say thank you to my friends, family and others who have supported us over these past nine months. These are hard days for our family,\" said Sol Kim in his social media campaign video asking the U.S. government and the people to remember the three detainees.
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