U.S. State Department Travel Warning for the Democratic People's ...

On September 11, the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning about North Korea, or the Democratic People?s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The North Korean government detains, prosecutes, and sentences anyone who enters the country without having first obtained official permission and an entry visa.

Travel by U.S. citizens to North Korea is not routine, and U.S. citizens having crossed into North Korea, even acidentally, have been subject to arrest and long-term detention. the North Korean government imposes heavy fines and long prison sentences with hard labor for those convicted. Unauthorized travel inside North Korea is typically seen by security personnel as espionage. Any attempts a travel makes to speak with North Korean citizens, or shop at stores not designated for foreigners, or taking unauthorized pictures ? even with a mobile phone ? may be viewed as the same.

Since January 2009, four U.S. citizens have been arrested for entering North Korea illegally and a fifth was arrested for unspecified charges in 2010. The U.S. government and the DPRK do not have diplomatic relations and the U.S. government cannot provide normal consular services to its citizens in North Korea. Currently, the Swedish Embassy is the U.S. protecting power in the DPRK but it cannot get U.S. citizens out of jail or pay their criminal fines.

U.S. citizens who plan to travel to North Korea are strongly encouraged to contact the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China about their trip by enrolling in the State Department?s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.

See the complete U.S. State Department Travel Warning for the DPRK for embassy details and additional information.

Source: http://www.travelinsurancereview.net/2012/09/14/u-s-state-department-travel-warning-for-the-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=u-s-state-department-travel-warning-for-the-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea

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