Tour operators say U.S. to ban citizens from travel to North Korea

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

#WORLD NEWS
JULY 21, 2017 / 4:13 AM / 12 MINUTES AGO

Tour operators say U.S. to ban citizens from travel to North Korea

SEOUL (Reuters) - Two tour agencies that arrange trips to North Korea said on Friday the U.S. government will soon ban its citizens from traveling there, after the death of a U.S. student arrested there while on a tour.

Koryo Tours said the ban would be announced on July 27 and would go into effect 30 days later. It said the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang, which handles consular affairs for the United States in the North, informed it of the ban, but did not say how long it would last.

"But it does seem to be the case that in just over a month, it will be impossible for Americans to visit as tourists," Koryo Tours general manager Simon Cockrell told Reuters by telephone.

Another tour operator, Young Pioneer Tours, said on its Web site that it had also been informed of the ban, citing the same date.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-tours-idUSKBN1A60SE

[avebury]

1. I am not really sure why anyone would want to visit North Korea. nt

[Eugene]

2. Believe it or not, North Korea just launched a tourism website.

North Korea Launches Tourism Site — Weeks After Jailed U.S. Tourist's Death (NPR)

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/20/538286261/north-korea-launches-tourism-site-weeks-after-jailed-u-s-tourists-death

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The pitch is a "beautiful and picturesque landscape." Of course, they leave out the part about the labor camps.

[avebury]

5. It may be a beautiful country but, at this time, it is just

not the safest place to visit. Sometimes common sense has to be part of the equation is determining where to travel to.

[lunasun]

3. Relatives, connections to the area perhaps

[forgotmylogin]

4. I've read reports that say the actual country is beautiful.

And some people really like "extreme" vacations. Learning about places like that firsthand is invaluable.