Jul 21, 2017 - World

Report: U.S. to ban Americans from traveling to North Korea

Wong Maye-E / AP

The US plans to ban Americans from traveling to North Korea on July 27, according to Koryo Tours and Young Pioneer Tours, which operate tours in North Korea and talked to BBC. The tour groups said they were informed by the Swedish embassy.

Timing: This comes shortly after American student Otto Warmbier was released from his 18-month sentence in a North Korean prison, after which he was in a coma and died days after returning to the states. It has not been confirmed that this is the reason for the ban.

UPDATE: A State Department spokeswoman confirmed that the State Department will be banning U.S. travel to North Korea and that there will be a noticed published next week, according to Time's Zeke Miller.

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