JONG-UN'S REGIME.
HE WALKS STIFFLY INTO THE ROOM, 
HEAD BOWED, FLANKED BY HIS NORTH
KOREAN GUARDS.
THEN 21-YEAR-OLD AMERICAN OTTO 
FREDRICK WARMBIER APPEARS TO 
BREAK DOWN.
>> I ENTIRELY BEG YOU, PEOPLE 
AND GOVERNMENT OF THE DPR KOREA 
FOR YOUR FORGIVENESS.
PLEASE.
I'VE MADE THE WORST MISTAKE OF 
MY LIFE.
>> HE READS A STATEMENT SAYING 
HE COMMITTED A CRIME IN THE EYES
OF NORTH KOREA TAKING DOWN A 
PRO-REGIME POLITICAL BANNER FROM
THE STAFF AREA OF A HOTEL.
>> PLEASE ACT TO SAVE ME.
PLEASE.
THINK OF MY FAMILY.
>> Reporter: CNN CANNOT VERIFY 
IF HE WAS FORCED TO READ FROM A 
SCRIPT BUT KIM JONG-UN'S REGIME 
HAS MADE OTHERS DO THE SAME.
>> I THINK HE'S UNDER GREAT 
DURESS.
HE KNOWS WHAT'S TRANSPIRED IN 
THE PAST WITH OTHER AMERICANS 
WHO HAVE BEEN HELD FOR 
SIGNIFICANT PERIODS OF TIME.
HE HAS NO ONE TO SEEK COUNCIL 
TO.
>> Reporter: HE WAS ON AN 
ORGANIZED TOUR WHEN HE WAS 
DETAINED JANUARY 2nd.
NORTH KOREAN OFFICIALS SAY HE 
WAS ENCOURAGED TO STEAL THE 
BANNER BY A METHODIST CHURCHES 
IN NATIVE OHIO AND BY THE ZEE 
SOCIETY, A PHILANTHROPIC 
ASSOCIATION WHOSE MEMBERS NAMES 
ARE SECRET.
PYONGYANG SAYS THE GROUP HAS 
TIES TO THE CIA.
THE OHIO CHURCH AND ZEE SOCIETY 
HAVE NO CONNECTIONS WITH HIM OR 
THE CIA.
THE TOUR OPERATOR HAS COMMENTED 
ON THE STRANGE NEWS CONFERENCE.
OTHER TOUR OPERATORS TELL CNN 
THEY POUND THE MESSAGE HOME TO 
THEIR AMERICAN CLIENTS, DON'T DO
ANYTHING TO PROVOKE THE NORTH 
KOREANS SUCH AS TAKING PICTURES 
OF SOLDIERS.
>> DON'T TAKE A PICTURE WITH 
YOUR HANDS IN YOUR POCKET.
BEFORE WE ENTER ANY MUSEUM, 
THERE IS TYPICALLY A MURAL OF 
THE LEADERSHIP OF THE COUNTRIES 
AND TOURISTS ARE EXPECTED TO 
GIVE IT A BRIEF BOW ON THEIR WAY
IN.
>> Reporter: HE'S BEING HELD AT 
A TIME OF HIGH TENSION WITH KIM 
JONG-UN'S REGIME FOLLOWING HIS 
NUCLEAR AND ROCKET TESTS LEADING
SOME TO WONDER IF TONIGHT THIS 
STUDENT IS ALSO A PAWN.
>> THEY ARE USING THIS TO GET ON
THE FRONT PAGES TO OPEN 
THEMSELVES UP TO A DIALOGUE.
A DIALOGUE NOT WITH RESPECT TO 
THE NUCLEAR OR MISSILE PROGRAMS 
AND THE SANCTIONS THAT ARE BEING
APPLIED TO NORTH KOREA, BUT NOW 
TO A HUMANITARIAN ISSUE.
THIS IS IN THEIR INTEREST TO 
CHANGE THE SUBJECT.
>> Reporter: WHILE KIM'S REGIME 
IS PLAYING THIS HIGH-STAKES 
GAME, WARMMIER'S FAMILY IS 
ISSUING A STATEMENT SAYING OTTO 
HAS APOLOGIZED FOR ANYTHING HE 
MIGHT HAVE DONE WRONG, URGING 
THEM TO CONSIDER HIS YOUTH AND 
ALLOW HIM TO RETURN HOME.
>> ONE FORMER NORTH KOREAN 
DETAINEE HAS MADE CLEAR AFTER 
HIS RELEASE THAT HE MADE A 
CONFESSION AFTER DURESS.
>> THIS MAN, MERRILL NEWMAN FROM
CALIFORNIA HAD BEEN HELD IN 
NORTH KOREA IN 2013 AFTER 
MENTIONING WHILE HE WAS ON A 
TOUR THAT HE HAD FOUGHT IN THE 
KOREAN WAR.
AFTER HIS RELEASE, HE SAID HIS 
CONFESSION WAS NOT M
