Travel ban imposed on North Korea amid 'significant risk to British nationals'
British travellers have been warned not to travel to North Korea as “tensions are high on the Korean peninsula”.
In the wake of a series of nuclear and ballistic missile tests by the communist state, the Foreign Office (FCO) has updated its stance on visiting the country, advising against “all but essential travel”. The FCO said: “There remains a threat of further missile or nuclear tests, which could lead to further instability in the country.”
It added that the security situation in the country can change without warning and with no advance notice given by the authorities. “This represents a significant risk for British visitors and residents,” it said.
The FCO also updated its travel advice to South Korea but did not warn against visiting. “There has been no change to the UK’s government’s assessment of security in South Korea at this time,” it said, though it did mention that the “level of tension” on the peninsula remains high.
This week North Korea unveiled a new propaganda video threatening to fire missiles near the US territory of Guam as “merciless revenge” on the US for ignoring Pyongyang’s warnings over military drills with South Korea.
The Foreign Office’s travel restriction means that tour operators running trips to the country are likely to cancel them, with customers receiving refunds. It also invalidates the travel insurance of anyone visiting - unless they are already there.
Though few British nationals visit North Korea, those who do are usually required to be part of an organised tour. The FCO advises those visiting to “follow the advice of your tour group and the local authorities. Failure to do so could put your personal safety at risk and lead to a severe punishment from the local authorities.”
It adds: “Offences that would be considered trivial in other countries can incur very severe penalties in North Korea, particularly actions the authorities deem to be disrespectful towards the North Korean leadership or government. In recent years the North Korean authorities have arrested some visitors on these grounds, including 4 US citizens and 1 Canadian. Some individuals have been publicly put on trial by the DPRK.”
The secretive communist country welcomes some 100,000 visitors a year. In 2015, it announced plans to increase sizably its tourism industry and target two million people from around the world by 2020.
The FCO’s updated restriction follows the US State Department, which warned its citizens earlier this month of travelling to the nation “due to the serious and mounting risk of arrest and long-term detention”.
