[Photo] US extends travel ban to North Korea for citizens

The funeral for student Otto Warmbier, held at his alma mater of Wyoming High School in Ohio on June 22, 2017. (AFP/Yonhap News)

The US Statement Department is implementing a one-year extension on its restriction on travel to North Korea by US citizens. The travel ban was first implemented in 2017 after the death of US student Otto Warmbier, who was detained in North Korea for 17 months and died shortly after his release. On Aug. 19, the US State Department announced that the extension, which was apparently motivated by “the serious risk of arrest and long-term detention in North Korea,” will go into effect on Sept. 1. Exceptions will be made for diplomats, people working in aid or journalism, and others serving “the national interest.”