Trump blames DPRK for student's death, doesn't mention Kim

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U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday sought to quell a firestorm sparked by his comments on the case of an American student who had died days after being released by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in 2017, saying his words had been "misinterpreted."

Trump sparked widespread criticism when he told reporters at this week's summit with DPRK leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam that he believed Kim's claim that he didn't know what happened to Otto Warmbier during his detention in the DPRK.

Warmbier, 22, died days after being sent back to the United States in a coma in June 2017.

A man watches screen reporting on the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, February 28, 2019, in Seoul, the Republic of Korea. /VCG Photo

After a stern rebuke from Warmbier's parents, Trump took to Twitter, insisting he held Pyongyang responsible for the student's death – but without directly blaming Kim or even mentioning him.

"I never like being misinterpreted, but especially when it comes to Otto Warmbier and his great family," Trump said. "Of course, I hold North Korea (the DPRK) responsible for Otto's mistreatment and death."

He added: "Most importantly, Otto Warmbier will not have died in vain. Otto and his family have become a tremendous symbol of strong passion and strength, which will last for many years into the future."

Earlier Friday, Warmbier's parents Fred and Cindy condemned the U.S. leader's "lavish praise" of Kim this week following their summit in Hanoi.

Warmbier, an Ohio native who studied at the University of Virginia, had traveled to the DPRK, on a tour. He was pulled away at the Pyongyang airport in January 2016 and charged with crimes against the state for attempting to take a political slogan from a staff-only area in a hotel. He was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor.

After lengthy negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang, Warmbier was released but died a few days later on American soil.

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After the Hanoi summit, Trump said of Kim: "He knew the case very well, but he knew it later."

Kim "tells me that he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word," Trump said.

Trump and Kim held their second summit in the Vietnamese capital on Wednesday and Thursday but failed to reach an agreement. The U.S. claimed that the DPRK wanted a full lifting of sanctions, while Pyongyang said it only requested a partial removal.

Despite the collapse of the talks, Trump insisted on his relations with the DPRK leader are "very good."

(With inputs from AFP)

(Cover: Otto Warmbier (C), an American student from the University of Virginia, is taken to DPRK's top court in Pyongyang, March 16, 2016. /VCG Photo)