Was ‘dead’ US student kidnapped to work for tyrant Kim?
A STUDENT believed to have died in a hiking accident in China 12 years ago is reportedly alive after being kidnapped to serve as Kim Jong-un’s English tutor. American David Sneddon was 24 when he disappeared in China’s Yunnan Province in 2004.
At the time, Chinese police thought the hiker had fallen into a gorge – but his parents remained sceptical of this theory and his body was never found.
Yesterday, Japanese media reported that Mr Sneddon was alive and living in Pyongyang, North Korea, with a wife and two children.
According to Choi Sung-yong, head of South Korea’s Abductees’ Family Union, the university student was taken to tutor Kim, then a young dictator-in-waiting.
Mr Sneddon, who was studying at Brigham Young University in Utah, was last seen leaving a Korean restaurant in Shangri-La, a town close to Tiger Leaping Gorge where it was claimed he died.
It was only on August 26, 2004, 12 days after he disappeared, that he was reported missing to the authorities by his brother after failing to arrive at Seoul Airport.
Mr Sneddon’s parents Roy and Kathleen believe their son was targeted due to his ability to speak Korean, which he used while serving on a Mormon mission in South Korea.
For the past 12 years, they have trekked around China raising awareness of his disappearance.
John Kirby, a spokesman for the US State Department, said: ‘We continue to closely monitor this matter and continue to raise it with the Chinese authorities.
‘But we have seen no verifiable evidence to indicate Mr Sneddon was abducted by North Korean officials.’
Mr Sneddon’s family have long campaigned for help in finding out what happened to him, working with politicians in their home state of Utah.
In February this year, Congressman Chris Stewart and Senator Mike Lee presented a joint resolution to the House of Representatives and the Senate, asking the US government to further investigate the case.
Mr Stewart said in a statement: ‘Even though it may be difficult, it’s the duty of the United States government to follow all leads to locate a miss- ing citizen. The evidence indicates that there are still a lot of unanswered questions about David’s disappearance.
‘ David’s family deserves answers to those questions, and until we find those answers I will continue urging the state department to pursue all possible explanations for David’s disappearance.’
Mr Sneddon’s parents said they have also been contacted by another senator keen to make progress on their son’s case.
His father added: ‘Our latest information on David’s case points to David’s likely abduction by elements of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea [North Korea]. We believe he is now being held captive there. David’s likely plight should be alarming to every American. News articles and major NGO reports have documented North Korea’s systematic abduction of citizens of other countries in order to train its own intelligence agents to infiltrate these countries.
‘Try to imagine Kathleen’s and my frustration and anxiety as we seek further information about our son.
‘Our goal is to ensure that the US government does everything possible to investigate his likely abduction and secure his safe return to the US.’
‘Frustration and anxiety’