Key facts
- Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) urged the State Department to revise its policy on the North Korea travel ban.
- The State Department extended the ban on U.S. citizen travel to North Korea until Aug. 31, 2027.
- The ban cites "serious" risks of arrest and long-term detention for U.S. citizens in North Korea.
- Sherman stated that approximately 100,000 Korean Americans hope to have family reunification meetings in North Korea.
- The U.S. implemented the travel restriction on North Korea in 2017 and has extended it annually.
Representative Brad Sherman (D-CA) has called on the U.S. State Department to revise its policy that prohibits U.S. citizens from traveling to North Korea. The department recently extended the ban for another year, until August 31, 2027, citing significant risks of arrest and detention for Americans in the reclusive nation.
Sherman stated that the renewed ban, which has been in place for 10 consecutive years, is a disappointment to many Korean Americans. He noted that approximately 100,000 Korean Americans wish to hold family reunification meetings with aging relatives in North Korea, a possibility now made impossible by the travel restriction. The lawmaker urged the State Department to allow Korean Americans the opportunity to attend funerals or burials in North Korea and to help heal the divisions caused by prolonged separations.
The U.S. first implemented the travel restriction on North Korea in 2017, declaring all U.S. passports invalid for travel to, in, or through the country unless specifically validated. The ban has been extended annually since its inception.