The Glorious Blog of the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea

[myboynoah]

Throw him in the back of a truck. No big deal. Seems far simpler than taking a submarine to the coast of Japan, rowing to shore, arranging for cars, etc.

Who knows if he is really alive or not. But nothing this regime does would shock me.

Hmmm, back of a truck across China without getting noticed, without the American doing anything to get away, without people noticing something unusual.

[Maximus]

That's what the Chinese would have the world believe - that David went missing in Tiger Leaping Gorge. However....
1) It has been proven with multiple eye witnesses that David hiked through Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Proven...not sure...people say they saw him, but is it possible that they saw a white guy they thought was him?

2) Tiger Leaping Gorge is not a treacherous hike and David was an experienced hiker and backpacker.

yes, and experienced hikers have died on non treacherous trails before

3) David was young and healthy; 24-year olds don't die of natural causes.

Sure probably didnt die naturally.

4) Violent crime is unheard of in that area of China.

ok

5) If eye witnesses are mistaken and they misidentified David in Shangri-La City, it would mark the first time in fifty years a Western tourist died on that trail and the body was not discovered.

Ok, but is having NK agents suddenly come to that city and take someone because they speak korean really more unreasonable that he died in an unlikely fall during his hike?

[Jeff Lebowski]

Hmmm, back of a truck across China without getting noticed, without the American doing anything to get away, without people noticing something unusual.

In the articles I have read about the case, they said that due to the political climate in China very few people will even speak with foreign investigators about the case. Nobody wants to get in trouble. Do you think people would be inclined to report someone being hauled around in the back of a truck (or whatever)? I seriously doubt it.

[falafel]

Ok, but is having NK agents suddenly come to that city and take someone because they speak korean really more unreasonable that he died in an unlikely fall during his hike?

Well, he was in a Korean restaurant....

[myboynoah]

In the articles I have read about the case, they said that due to the political climate in China very few people will even speak with foreign investigators about the case. Nobody wants to get in trouble. Do you think people would be inclined to report someone being hauled around in the back of a truck (or whatever)? I seriously doubt it.

So I guess the Chinese Government is complicit in this conspiracy, covering up the abduction of an American. And people across China who might have seen something strange decided at the time to say nothing because they were afraid.

As I understand it, the only foreign investigators are the family members. I feel for them and their loss, but I don't trust their interpretation of the "facts" they have gathered. They obviously want to believe their son, brother is alive someplace and have hit upon this North Korean abduction theory. But it seems more likely that he fell and died, or was even killed for some reason, and his body hasn't been found or is buried someplace.

[LiveCoug]

If it is legit, very very sad. The dude is severely psychologically damaged at this point. NK provides him with a wife and kids and then probably threatens his family if he doesn't do what they say. Probably will be brainwashed enough to pledge his allegiance to NK eventually.

Or he fell off a cliff.

[Jeff Lebowski]

So I guess the Chinese Government is complicit in this conspiracy, covering up the abduction of an American. And people across China who might have seen something strange decided at the time to say nothing because they were afraid.

As I understand it, the only foreign investigators are the family members. I feel for them and their loss, but I don't trust their interpretation of the "facts" they have gathered. They obviously want to believe their son, brother is alive someplace and have hit upon this North Korean abduction theory. But it seems more likely that he fell and died, or was even killed for some reason, and his body hasn't been found or is buried someplace.

I am not saying that the Chinese government was complicit. I am saying that your "...without people noticing something unusual" line is mostly meaningless in this case. This is a country (and region) where most people keep their heads down and their mouths shut.

Furthermore:

What most Americans don’t know is that North Korea has been systematically kidnapping foreigners for the past 60 years. Since the Korean War Armistice in 1953, North Korea is suspected to have abducted 3,824 South Koreans (in addition to more than 100,000 taken during the war) and as many as 100 Japanese and 200 Chinese. According to the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, there have been at least 25 additional abductees from countries including France, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Romania, and Thailand.

http://www.outsideonline.com/1923586/did-north-korea-kidnap-american-hiker

If they can successfully kidnap people in France, Italy, etc. China would be a piece of cake.

[Jeff Lebowski]

For the record, I agree that the simplest explanation is that he fell into a river or something. But I disagree that it would be difficult or out of character for NK to do this.

[Paperback Writer]

Proven...not sure...people say they saw him, but is it possible that they saw a white guy they thought was him?

A short white guy with red hair with a widow's peak who could speak decent Chinese. Or an American in a Korean restaurant who happened to speak fluent Korean. Look at the pictures, David Sneddon, in my view, doesn't look like a typical "white guy". Besides, there's not an abundance of young Americans trekking in that area. So yeah, when people saw a picture of David and mentioned that he could speak Chinese or Korean, without being prompted, I tend to believe them.

yes, and experienced hikers have died on non treacherous trails before

And their bodies are almost always recovered.

Ok, but is having NK agents suddenly come to that city and take someone because they speak korean really more unreasonable that he died in an unlikely fall during his hike?

NK agents were most likely already in that city trying to catch North Korean escapees. An unlikely fall where a body was not recovered - that's highly unusual. Far more people have been kidnapped by North Korea than have died on that trail and their bodies not recovered.

[old_gregg]

maybe he got deducted by aliens

[creekster]

maybe he got deducted by aliens

I guess that would be a write-off.

[LiveCoug]

maybe he got deducted by aliens

Then faded into bolivian

[frank ryan]

A short white guy with red hair with a widow's peak who could speak decent Chinese. Or an American in a Korean restaurant who happened to speak fluent Korean. Look at the pictures, David Sneddon, in my view, doesn't look like a typical "white guy". Besides, there's not an abundance of young Americans trekking in that area. So yeah, when people saw a picture of David and mentioned that he could speak Chinese or Korean, without being prompted, I tend to believe them.


And their bodies are almost always recovered.


NK agents were most likely already in that city trying to catch North Korean escapees. An unlikely fall where a body was not recovered - that's highly unusual. Far more people have been kidnapped by North Korea than have died on that trail and their bodies not recovered.

That area is one the key points one the North Korean underground railroad. So that makes sense. NorKos and corrupt regional Chinese authorities could've made that happen. I'm pretty sure Japanese intelligence thinks Sneddon is there.

[SCcoug]

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