YouTuber Drew Binsky, whose official bio on YouTube says that he has visited all the countries in the world, posted a video on the platform earlier this month, stating four reasons why he will never step into Kim Jong Un’s North Korea again.
What Happened: In the caption, the YouTuber described North Korea as the “most isolated” but interesting country in the world. He also said that in 2017, he visited the country’s largest city and capital of the county, Pyongyang, for four days — shortly after U.S. citizens were banned from visiting the country.
“To this day, I think that I’m one of the last dozen Americans to step foot in North Korea, and I’m glad that I’m here to tell the stories. In this video, I share 4 reasons why I will never go back to North Korea,” he stated.
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Four reasons detailed by the YouTuber:
Reason I: Binsky Thinks He Is On Someone’s ‘Death List’
According to the YouTuber, given that he has created multiple videos about the “cult” that surrounds the country’s leadership, he might be caught and prosecuted. He also interviewed North Korean defector Yeonmi Park, who had much to say about the nuclear-armed state’s supreme leader, Kim Jong Un.
Reason II: He Got Detained At The North Korean Border
The YouTuber said that a few weeks before the war broke out in Ukraine, he was in Siberia and ended up “in the bizarre town, Vladivostok,” which was closer to the borders of North Korea, so he went there to investigate, probably thinking that he shouldn’t miss this opportunity.
“Looking back, it wasn’t the best idea because hours later, I found myself detained by the police who wanted to know what I was doing there and even accused me of being a spy,” he said.
The authorities eventually accepted his apology and made him sign documents stating that if he were ever caught again at the border, he would face “severe consequences.”
Reason III: The YouTuber Declared He ‘Does No Support The Regime’
Binsky said this may sound obvious, but “it’s worth speaking out against a government that violates its citizens on the regular and takes pride in disrupting global peace.”
Reason IV: Americans Are Officially Banned From Visiting North Korea
The U.S. government banned Americans from going to North Korea after a student named Otto Warmbier was detained there in 2015 and given a 15-year punishment for allegedly stealing an item with a propaganda slogan, reported Reuters.
Warmbier came back to the U.S. in 2017 in a coma and passed away at the age of 22.
According to the U.S. Department of State, “U.S. passports are not valid for travel to, in, or through North Korea, unless they are specially validated by the Department of State.”
You can watch the complete video below:
Binsky didn’t immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
Why It’s Important: In November this year, Kim Jong Un’s North Korea received major flak from international authorities after it indicated plans to carry out more satellite launches.
Previously, South Korea’s principal deputy national security adviser came to the U.S. for a meeting about nuclear strategies between the two countries. They mentioned that North Korea has been planning to test a missile that could reach the U.S. mainland.
Photo by Alexander Khitrov on Shutterstock
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