“At the direction of the president, the Department of State has secured the release of Otto Warmbier from North Korea,” Mr. Tillerson said in his statement. “Out of respect for the privacy of Mr. Warmbier and his family, we have no further comment,” Mr. Tillerson said in his statement. Asked later at a Senate committee hearing about Mr. Warmbier’s health, Mr. Tillerson declined to comment. “We must continue working to free all Americans who are being held by North Korea.”Mr. Warmbier visited North Korea on a group tour last year. Hours after video of the news conference emerged, the Obama administration announced broad new sanctions against North Korea.

Source: New York Times June 13, 2017 14:17 UTC