As U.S. ban on travel to North Korea kicks in, tourists say their farwells

[snoop1130]

As U.S. ban on travel to North Korea kicks in, tourists say their farwells

By Christian Shepherd

 

 

BEIJING (Reuters) - American tourist Nicholas Burkhead said he'd be happy to return to his latest holiday destination, with its beautiful scenery, great food and friendly people.

 

The problem is, the destination was North Korea and a U.S. State Department ban on travel to the isolated country takes effect on Friday.

 

Burkhead, a 35-year-old from Tulsa, Oklahoma, was among the last American tourists to leave North Korea, landing on Thursday in Beijing.

 

"I was surprised at how friendly everyone was," Burkhead said after stepping off the last scheduled flight to Beijing from the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, before the U.S. travel ban kicks in.

 

"It was very relaxing - beautiful scenery and they fed us very well in the restaurants there, but the exchange rate wasn't too good for the local won," he told a waiting scrum of reporters.

 

Burkhead arrived in Beijing on North Korea's state-owned Air Koryo after visiting Pyongyang as well as the city of Kaesong near the heavily armed border with South Korea. His five-day tour cost 1,850 euros ($2,200).

 

Other Americans on the flight included two aid workers as well as Jamie Banfill, 32, who had led tours to North Korea but was visiting this time as a tourist.

 

Banfill, who had made the trip to say goodbyes after regularly travelling to the North for a decade, said the travel ban short-sighted.

 

"It's an extremely complex situation on the Korean peninsula and they oversimplified it," he said.

 

The United States last month announced a ban on U.S. passport holders from travelling to North Korea, effective Sept. 1. Journalists and humanitarian workers are allowed to apply for exemptions under the ban, which is similar to previous U.S. restrictions on travel to Iraq and Libya.

 

Heidi Linton, director of Christian Friends of Korea, who has been working in North Korea for more than 20 years, told reporters she worried about the people her aid group helped, if her exemption was not granted soon.

 

"We started a hepatitis B program and we have 705 patients that have been started on life-saving medicine, that if they go off that medicine then their lives are in danger," she said.

 

It was not immediately clear how many Americans had sought, or been granted, exemptions or how many were still in North Korea. An official at the state department said it was not able to give an estimate on the number of U.S. citizens there.

 

PRESSURE GROWS

 

North Korea is under growing international pressure over its nuclear tests and repeated ballistic missile launches, including one this week that flew over northern Japan.

 

The U.S. ban on travel to North Korea followed the death of U.S. college student Otto Warmbier, who was jailed during a tour last year.

 

Warmbier, who was sentenced to 15 years hard labour for trying to steal a propaganda sign, was returned to the United States in a coma in June and died six days later. The circumstances surrounding his death are not clear, including why he fell into a coma.

 

Warmbier had been detained leaving the airport in Pyongyang.

 

"I was expecting a strict security check on exit but there was nothing like that," Burkhead said.

 

The State Department declared U.S. passports invalid for travel to, in or through North Korea. The restriction applies for one year unless extended or revoked by the secretary of state.

 

North Korean state media has described the ban as a "sordid" attempt to limit human exchanges.

 

North Korea is currently holding two Korean-American academics and a missionary, as well as three South Korean nationals who were doing missionary work.

 

This month, North Korea released a Canadian pastor who had been imprisoned there for more than two years.

 

Hundreds of Americans are among the 4,000 to 5,000 Western tourists who visit North Korea annually, according to U.S. lawmaker Joe Wilson.

($1 = 0.8414 euros)

 

(Additional reporting by James Pearson in SEOUL and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Robert Birsel)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-8-31

[GinBoy2]

Why anyone in their corn fed mind thinks the DPRK is in any way a safe tourist destination baffles me.  I'd say let 'em go, but don't expect any State Dept. help when things go sideways

[geriatrickid]

These are the same type of people who stop and  record a car crash victim's dying minutes, and  justify it as "sharing information". The tourists deserve nothing but scorn and contempt. They are in the same class of people who supported the Khmer Rouge and Burundi regimes with their visits.

[craigt3365]

2 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

Why anyone in their corn fed mind thinks the DPRK is in any way a safe tourist destination baffles me.

I'd say let 'em go, but don't expect any State Dept. help when things go sideways

It's a safe destination. Probably safer than Thailand. My problem is the money you spend on the trip goes to support a brutal dictator. But I know many who've gone and really loved the experience.

 

With that being said, I've been to Turkmenistan. A country with another insane dictator.  LOL. But I went there to visit my cousin who's working there.

[GinBoy2]

8 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

It's a safe destination. Probably safer than Thailand. My problem is the money you spend on the trip goes to support a brutal dictator. But I know many who've gone and really loved the experience.

 

With that being said, I've been to Turkmenistan. A country with another insane dictator.  LOL. But I went there to visit my cousin who's working there.

You're probably right, but we need to define 'safe'

Totally agree you are more likely to be robbed, beaten up, scammed or even killed in Thailand. But it's if you fall foul of the regime, as many an evangelical or the unfortunate Mr Warmbier have, things go south quick.

At least in a 'normal' country you can expect the US Embassy to offer you assistance, I think what people fail to recognize is that in the DPRK you really are on your own

[Scott]

It should be remembered that US citizens can still go to NK.   The passport is invalid for travel to NK, but who NK allows into the country is up to them.   It is also up to them to decide what type of documentation they want for entry.  

 

Anyone trying it though can get into trouble and they will be accorded precious little assistance if they encounter any problems while in NK.  

[manarak]

a travel ban... that will show them !!

[jerojero]

What a retard. Thinking he's safe in NKorea.

[Sydebolle]

Mind-boggling indeed.

Is the US travel ban on its people constitutional, i.e. can a state forbid its citizen to go places? We know the Bae and the Warmbier stories but I would consider it human right issue on where to (not) go by state law - coming from the self-proclaimed police of planet Earth! 

[Scott]

It's legal, but it is not commonly used.   It doesn't really bar anyone from going, it just makes the passport not valid for travel to that particular country.   So, if you get a stamp or visa from that country, then you are violating the terms of having a passport.  

 

To get around it, some countries give a visa on a separate piece of paper that can be stapled in the passport and then removed when you leave.   The passport may also be specifically validated for a that person by the Department of State if it is officially sanctioned business.  

 

 

[Rimmer]

A troll post has been removed

[craigt3365]

2 hours ago, Scott said:

It's legal, but it is not commonly used.   It doesn't really bar anyone from going, it just makes the passport not valid for travel to that particular country.   So, if you get a stamp or visa from that country, then you are violating the terms of having a passport.  

 

To get around it, some countries give a visa on a separate piece of paper that can be stapled in the passport and then removed when you leave.   The passport may also be specifically validated for a that person by the Department of State if it is officially sanctioned business.  

 

 

That's how it worked in Cuba and Israel. Stamps on separate pieces of paper. Almost got in trouble for that as the US immigration officer couldn't line up my entry/ exit stamps. Luckily, I had a full passport and he finally gave up!

[YetAnother]

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

and they fed us very well in the restaurants there,

This is an old practice by North Korea ,reflected in many stories ,that the American tourists are treated remarkably well so they will not actually see and report on the negative conditions in that country

[baboon]

What are the penalties for defying the travel ban if discovered?

[craigt3365]

1 hour ago, baboon said:

What are the penalties for defying the travel ban if discovered?

Forced to live in North Korea forever. A fate worse than death.  LOL

[Scott]

5 hours ago, baboon said:

What are the penalties for defying the travel ban if discovered?

That's a good question and I will see if I can find out.   It's been a while since the US put travel restrictions on a country.   I don't think there is a lot they can do, except perhaps revoke your passport.

 

There will, no doubt, be people with dual nationality who will travel to the country, so they are technically a US citizen, but would travel on a different passport.   I am not sure they can do anything to you for that.

 

Economic sanctions are what are usually used, and when I worked in a country where travel wasn't allowed, my passport was validated specifically for the country.   When I came out of the country after about 4 months, however, my bank account had been frozen since the pay originated from work in that country.   My Credit Cards were all canceled (because they hadn't been paid), my house was in the first stages of foreclosure, etc., etc.   It all got straightened out, but it was a mess for a time.   

 

I think that much of this is designed to stop the many Korean-Americans who travel to the North for the purpose of proselytizing.    I am pretty sure the N Koreans view them with a very jaundiced eye.   

 

In short, they can do what most parents can do to a naughty child who goes out when they aren't supposed to; they can ground you and take away your allowance.  

 

 

 

[baboon]

I also think the ban is so that the US can cover itself - many travellers have unrealistic expectations of what their Embassy can do to help them: often little to nothing. Now go to a country which has no representation from your homeland and which has been at loggerheads with your government for decades...

[Watchful]

On 8/31/2017 at 9:52 AM, craigt3365 said:

It's a safe destination. Probably safer than Thailand. My problem is the money you spend on the trip goes to support a brutal dictator. But I know many who've gone and really loved the experience.

 

With that being said, I've been to Turkmenistan. A country with another insane dictator.  LOL. But I went there to visit my cousin who's working there.

 

Safe for who?  How many Americans have been held on totally false charges by those animals in North Korea.

 

The last victim they tortured to just about death. Then sent him home in a basket. 

 

Trump is right to outlaw Americans traveling to these despicable animals.

[inThailand]

Wouldn't banning NK tourists from the USA be more effective?

[Scott]

1 hour ago, inThailand said:

Wouldn't banning NK tourists from the USA be more effective?

I think most NK tourists would have trouble overcoming that overriding criteria for entry:   The presumption that they will not remain in the US.  

[craigt3365]

8 hours ago, Watchful said:

 

Safe for who?  How many Americans have been held on totally false charges by those animals in North Korea.

 

The last victim they tortured to just about death. Then sent him home in a basket. 

 

Trump is right to outlaw Americans traveling to these despicable animals.

That's happened to a few tourists for sure. Again, Thailand is a much more dangerous place to visit. Then again, many more tourists visit here than North Korea.

 

As I've said earlier, I'd have a hard time going there knowing my money was helping to support a brutal dictator.

[baboon]

9 hours ago, Watchful said:

 

Safe for who?  How many Americans have been held on totally false charges by those animals in North Korea.

 

Yes? How many?

[8OA8]

That's how it worked in Cuba and Israel. Stamps on separate pieces of paper. Almost got in trouble for that as the US immigration officer couldn't line up my entry/ exit stamps. Luckily, I had a full passport and he finally gave up!

Used to be the same for Vietnam

Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk

[hawker9000]

On ‎8‎/‎31‎/‎2017 at 4:07 PM, Scott said:

It should be remembered that US citizens can still go to NK.   The passport is invalid for travel to NK, but who NK allows into the country is up to them.   It is also up to them to decide what type of documentation they want for entry.  

 

Anyone trying it though can get into trouble and they will be accorded precious little assistance if they encounter any problems while in NK.  

As was the case with Cuba, it will be illegal for Americans to spend money there.  If you go, and if immigration sniffs out your having travelled there (you'd have to lie both on the customs form and probably to their usual verbal query to conceal it) they apparently just turn the matter over to the Treasury Dept., whose account-draining correspondence will catch up with you after you've been home for two or three months thinking how easy that was.

 

'Course, that's all assuming you're not still there enjoying the kimchi when the balloon goes up...