Speaking after he mentioned the families of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea, Trump connected the issue to the fate of Otto Warmbier, an American student who was detained in Pyongyang in January 2016.

Warmbier was released in June and flown to the US in vegetative state. He died shortly after he arrived.

Referencing the Japanese abductees, Trump said “no parent should ever have to endure 40 years of heartbreak.