Trump-Kim Hanoi summit

Concern over North Korea's human rights record

Death of US student Otto Warmbier, fate of Japanese abductees remain sticking points

Otto Frederick Warmbier being taken to North Korea's top court in Pyongyang in a photo released on March 16, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

As United States President Donald Trump struck up a budding bromance with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, he sparked concerns that Pyongyang's dire human rights record would be a casualty in denuclearisation talks.

While Japan thanked the US for raising the subject of its citizens abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, Mr Trump's defence of Mr Kim in Hanoi on Thursday over the death of US student Otto Warmbier incurred immediate backlash.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on March 03, 2019, with the headline Concern over North Korea's human rights record. Subscribe