I don’t think they necessarily had any intent on paying out the money, but if they did 10k is peanuts for this kind of organization. We can say it’s just a sign all we want but Otto went on a restricted floor to find it. He could have probably bought a souvenir poster in a store if he wanted to, but he didn’t.
is carefully rehearsed
Yes, but that’s how press statements are. Everyone rehearses them and reads from a script they just pretend they don’t.
This is stuff we more or less easily accept when it happens elsewhere but as soon as it happens in the DPRK everyone instantly becomes a sleuth. As if things that happen in the DPRK are naturally more mysterious because the forest spirits are stronger there or something.
The initial statement someone gives to the press is often rehearsed, but answers to questions from the media usually aren’t. A media-trained person might come off as poised or pivoting to some talking points, but that’s very different from what appears to be a fully-scriped answer.
That’s what’s weird here – a big chunk of money supposedly offered for something that would rate basically zero news coverage, and that is of zero substantive use.
why is the accusation weird?
Why would anyone pay $10k (and a car) for a sign?
What are the odds one of the few people willing to pay $10k for a sign would also just happen to have a kid who has a friend who’s going to the DPRK?
Why would I believe a far-fetched story that (if you watch the video) is carefully rehearsed (along with the answers to follow up questions)?
I have no idea what actually happened here, but this does not remotely pass the sniff test.
I don’t think they necessarily had any intent on paying out the money, but if they did 10k is peanuts for this kind of organization. We can say it’s just a sign all we want but Otto went on a restricted floor to find it. He could have probably bought a souvenir poster in a store if he wanted to, but he didn’t.
Yes, but that’s how press statements are. Everyone rehearses them and reads from a script they just pretend they don’t.
This is stuff we more or less easily accept when it happens elsewhere but as soon as it happens in the DPRK everyone instantly becomes a sleuth. As if things that happen in the DPRK are naturally more mysterious because the forest spirits are stronger there or something.
The initial statement someone gives to the press is often rehearsed, but answers to questions from the media usually aren’t. A media-trained person might come off as poised or pivoting to some talking points, but that’s very different from what appears to be a fully-scriped answer.
10k is a small price to pay for an international propaganda win. Upper-class USonians spend less than that on re-roofing their house every few years.
An international propaganda win? It’s a sign!
That’s what’s weird here – a big chunk of money supposedly offered for something that would rate basically zero news coverage, and that is of zero substantive use.
Otto warmbier was an international story, and they did spin it into an anti-DPRK story. We wouldn’t know his name if it wasn’t.
Warmbier was never paid for his attempt because he died obviously, but if the money was a motivating factor, then it succeeded.