An elderly grandfather from California on vacation in North Korea was removed from his seat on what was supposed to have been his return flight and detained by North Korean authorities, who haven’t yet acknowledged let alone explained what they’re up to.

His neighbors in a retirement community in Palo Alto, California say they warned 85-year old Merrill Newman not to go to the Hermit Kingdom.  Newman was awarded a Silver Star for his military service in the Korean War in the early 1950s.  It’s not known if this has anything to do with why he was apparently detained in Pyongyang on 26 October.

“There has to be a terrible misunderstanding. I hope that the North Koreans will see this as a humanitarian matter and allow him to return to his family as soon as possible,” said a brief statement from Bob Hamrdla, Newman’s traveling companion who was on the airplane when Newman was detained.

Newman is a retired math teacher and long-time Red Cross volunteer in his community.  The US State Department isn’t saying much about this situation, and is relying on Swiss and Swedish intermediaries because the US has no official relations with North Korea.  North Korea’s motives are a mystery, other than to use him as a bargaining chip in future negotiations.