Washington — The Biden administration announced extending the ban for one more year on the use of U.S. passports for travel to North Korea.
The ban had first been imposed by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in 2017 after the death of American student Otto Warmbier.
The ban makes it illegal to use a U.S. passport for travel to, from or through North Korea, also known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or the DPRK unless the document has been especially validated. Such validations are granted by the State Department only in the case of compelling national interest.
“The Department of State has determined there continues to be a serious risk to U.S. citizens and nationals of arrest and long-term detention constituting an imminent danger to their physical safety,” the department said in the notice. “Accordingly, all U.S. passports shall remain invalid for travel to, in, or through the DPRK unless specially validated for such travel under the authority of the secretary of state.”
