You know the state department does perform a few useful functions. Last I checked, one of them, was keeping a list of countries that for various reasons, were a really poor destination for a holiday.

I bet you can't even get to North Korea directly from the US. You probably have to arrange the trip to go through a country that has an aviation agreement with NK.
This man is 85 years old, so I will cut him some slack for being a complete idiot, but his younger relatives should have discouraged this to the point of hiding his passport.

And the US government, aka the tax payers should not be on the hook for saving his sorry ass.

I'll cut him no slack. The idiot fought in the Korean War. What did he think would happen? A forgiving reception from the side with whom we are technically still at war? If he can't remember as far back as the Pueblo, maybe he can remember a few years later when the North bombed a South Korean airliner. Jesse Jackson grovelling to have that idiot journalist released? Still too far? How about that South Korean Navy ship that was torpedoed? That island that was shelled? Too political? How about Kim's former mistress being executed?

Education. It doesn't always happen in schools.

"Last I checked, one of them, was keeping a list of countries that for various reasons, were a really poor destination for a holiday."

Actually the "designated countries" list is long gone. It disappeared sometime during the Clinton administratoin. There are places that the State Department will tell you that it's a really bad idea to travel to, but as far as I know it's no longer illegal to go to these countries.

And don't lose sight of what's happening here. A civilian has been kidnapped, probably tortured, and forced to sign a confession. Any way you slice it, that's an act of war. And NoKo would not be doing this with the approval of their Chinese overlords.

This seems to be the International Incident version of those people who think it would be a good idea to climb Mt. Hood or Mt. Rainier in the middle of winter, and then need to be rescued.

Ah North Korea. A interesting but scary place. People keep forgetting about those crazy fuckers. Give it a few months or a year and people will be back to visit. Especially the South Koreans at times.

Yes let's travel to place, where you are so watched with minders and kept in place with fences that you can even be shot for getting to close to a fence of the tourist zone.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/07/11/us-korea-north-shooting-idUSSEO14908720080711

I do agree with how people do not look at things or research things. Even giving there countries department of state page a look.

I have met and heard of so many expats who are shocked and surprised of when they get into trouble that their embassy is going to do very little. At the most they will give you a list of lawyers and check on to make sure you are not being tortured. Maybe if your incident becomes politically motivated they might up the help.

Different country, means different rules. You are not in Kansas anymore.

"Actually the "designated countries" list is long gone."

The list is still here, actually, for those in the nuclear industry, and travel to any of them means a mandatory pre-brief (sometimes just a required read-and-sign); some require a debrief on your return.

Yea, cut him some slack.

Viet Nam has forgiven us. Old veterans return to Viet nam and meet with former enemies. Some of us, veterans and civilians, vacation in Viet Nam, all without fear of being arrested.

Mr Newman's mistake was believing North Korea would be equally forgiving.

Time for Kim Jung Eun's good friend, Dennis Rodman, to make another trip to North Korea to plea for Newman's release.

Well the difference between Vietnam and North Korea is quite a bit.

1) There is no embassy or diplomatic links between US and North Korea. I think state department have to go through the Swedes.

2) Technically North Korea and USA are still at war. There was no treaty just a cease fire.

3) Which country seems to make constant threats against USA and the west pretty much weekly. North Korea!

4) Let's not forget this is a country that seems throw a fit every year and acts aggressively towards other countries. Lets see since the end of the war whoops cease fire there has been... Spies, terrorist bombings, mini subs, capturing ships, sinking ships, shooting people cutting down trees, shooting down planes, bombing planes, kidnapping people from other countries, testing missiles, testing nukes, and shelling with live artillery a populated island and the list goes on.

5) Koreans both North and South suffer from "long term memory" grudges. The US forgave the Japanese, I have met and see six years old Koreans calling for the death of Japanese people for something that happened more then 68 years ago.

Sorry, I will not give much slack to the man. Sympathy and some help yes. Slack and excuses for his lot not much.

North Korea is not a safe place to go.

Raddy, that's interesting. The list I was thinking of was the one that the State Department used to maintain, for which it was illegal for any American citizen to travel to -- I think that in order to get an exception, the President had to sign it. IIRC, back in the day it listed about ten countries, including Iran, Iraq, North Korea, South Yemem (back when that was a thing), Cuba, Somolia and a few others.

In DoD-land, we still have to get a briefing before we travel anywhere out of the 50 United States, even to places like Canada or Puerto Rico.

"2) Technically North Korea and USA are still at war. There was no treaty just a cease fire."

How did that happen? I do not recall there having been a declaration of war, as required from Congress.