WASHINGTON: A U.S envoy to North Korea said the U.S government was considering allowing U.S.citizens to travel to North Korea for humanitarian purposes.
U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun said he was directed by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to review the U.S. policy on humanitarian assistance by private and religious groups, according to South Korean media reports.
Biegun made the comment upon his arrival in Seoul for a four-day visit for working group meetings with South Korean officials to discuss North Korean nuclear issues.
“The United States and the United Nations will continue to closely review requests for exemptions of licenses for the delivery of the assistance to the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea). We’ll still prioritize the safety and security of Americans,” he said.
The U.S. State Department announced a ban on trips by U.S. citizens to North Korea after the death of U.S. student Otto Warmbier in September 2017.
