President Donald Trump, in a news conference following his historic meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, said the death of Otto Warmbier was crucial to today’s talks.

Trump said without Warmbier’s death, his meeting with Kim may not have happened.

“Otto did not die in vain,” he said.

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Warmbier, a 22-year-old University of Virginia student from Cincinnati, was arrested in North Korea in January 2016 for stealing a propaganda poster. He died in June 2017, days after he returned to the U.S. with severe brain damage.

>> Death of Otto Warmbier, former N. Korean detainee, draws international reaction

Warmbier’s parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against North Korea in April.

>> Parents sue North Korea over death of detainee Otto Warmier

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Members of the conversion crew take a break as the main scoreboard is lowered to the floor to be worked on as the arena gets ready for the next concert at State Farm Arena, Thursday, October 2, 2025, in Atlanta. The crew was working on creating a stage for the Friday, Oct. 3 Maxwell concert. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com