Disappearance of David Louis Sneddon

David Louis Sneddon (born May 3, 1980; disappeared August 14, 2004),[1] is an American university student who disappeared in Yunnan Province, China after traveling alone through Tiger Leaping Gorge.[2] Over 12 years later, on August 31, 2016, the Abductee's Family Union of South Korea claimed that it had gathered intelligence demonstrating Sneddon had been abducted by North Korean agents and taken to North Korea where he became the personal English language tutor to Kim Jong-un.[3]

David Sneddon
Born
David Louis Sneddon

(1980-05-03)May 3, 1980
United States
DisappearedAugust 14, 2004 (aged 24)
Yunnan Province, China
StatusMissing for 20 years, 2 months and 29 days

Aftermath of disappearance

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The official position of the Chinese Government is that Sneddon died after falling into the Jinsha River, which passes through Tiger Leaping Gorge, although no body has ever been recovered.[4] The United States eventually adopted the Chinese Government's position. However, after discovery of compelling evidence that Sneddon was abducted by the North Korean regime, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously voted on September 28, 2016, to direct the U.S. State Department and all other intelligence agencies to reopen the investigations into Sneddon's whereabouts.[5] The U.S. Senate passed a similar resolution by unanimous vote more than two years later on November 29, 2018.[6] North Korea denies its involvement in Sneddon's disappearance.[7] Local news sites say that Sneddon is married to Kim Eun Hye and goes by the name of Yoon Bong Soo.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Fifield, Anna (February 28, 2019). "Missing American's family hoped Trump would raise his case with Kim Jong Un". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  2. ^ KJ Kwon; Ben Westcott (September 2, 2016). "Did North Korea abduct missing U.S. student?". CNN. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  3. ^ Garcia, Feliks (September 1, 2016). "US student declared dead actually 'kidnapped to teach English to Kim Jong-un', replacing his old tutor". The Independent. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  4. ^ Lee, Jenny; Cho, Eunjung (April 2, 2017). "New Hope for Solving Disappearance of US Student in China". Voice of America. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  5. ^ Stewart, Chris (September 28, 2016). "Text - H.Res.891 - 114th Congress (2015-2016): Expressing concern over the disappearance of David Sneddon, and for other purposes". www.congress.gov. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  6. ^ Lee, Mike (November 29, 2018). "Text - S.Res.92 - 115th Congress (2017-2018): A resolution expressing concern over the disappearance of David Sneddon, and for other purposes". www.congress.gov. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  7. ^ Persio, Sofia Lotto (June 11, 2018). "Did North Korea kidnap a U.S. citizen in China?". Newsweek. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  8. ^ Fifield, Anna (September 17, 2016). "Did North Korea abduct an American in 2004 — to teach English to Kim?". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
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