North Korea Reengaging with the International Community

Slowly North Korea is starting to reengage with the international community. For the first time in five years, a North Korean delegation left DPRK to hold talks with Mongolian counterparts in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. These talks were to strengthen “traditionally friendly relations” in the midst of increasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula. From Mongolia, North Korea also appears to be reaching out to Japan. The political and military security dialogue took place just a few days prior to the North Korean delegation visiting Ulaanbaatar. North Korea appears to be increasing diplomatic engagement with certain countries as pandemic restrictions ease.

Both German and Swedish delegations have also recently visited the capital of Pyongyang to inspect the condition of their embassies. This appears to be an effort to prepare for more Western engagement in the country, although it is unclear when the German ambassador will return to his post in the DPRK. Swedish Ambassador Designate Bengtsson already visited North Korea at the end of February this year.

Recent North Korean Diplomatic Visit to Mongolia

For Americans, Swedish-DPRK relations are of extreme importance. The Swedish embassy has served as Washington’s “protective power” in North Korea since 1995. Since then, all U.S. citizen detainments in the DPRK have been handled by the Swedish embassy, thanks to the Swedish ambassador serving as the primary liaison between the U.S. and DPRK governments.

In fact, the Swedish embassy in the DPRK keeps a room ready for the U.S. to use if it ever decides to have an official presence in Pyongyang. Next to the Swedish ambassador’s office is an unmarked room set aside as a potential liaison office for the U.S. government. Inside the empty, slightly musty room is an issue of the Pyongyang Times depicting the easing of strained relations between the late Chairman Kim Jong Il and President Bill Clinton. In addition, a newer edition of Chairman Kim Jong Un and President Trump’s summit is also displayed.

Before the Hanoi Summit in 2019, President Trump appeared to be open to the idea of establishing a liaison office in Pyongyang. A liaison office would certainly open up a diplomatic channel between the U.S. and North Korea, and it would be one critical step forward in the standstill the U.S. and the DPRK currently find themselves in.

However, the U.S. State Department continues to insist that it is unsafe for U.S. citizens to travel to the DPRK. As a result, there is a Geographic Travel Restriction issued for the DPRK. North Korea, in fact, is the only country in which such a blanket travel restriction is currently issued. 

Entrance to Swedish, German, and British Embassies in Pyongyang, DPRK

Several countries are ranked as part of the Department of State’s “Level 4: Do Not Travel” warning advisory. Nineteen countries are under this Level 4 travel advisory in 2024, most of which are labeled such due to ongoing conflict or war, high risk of detainment or kidnapping, and terrorism. The State Department warns U.S. citizens that “the U.S. government is unable to provide emergency or routine assistance to U.S. citizens” in these countries. Countries included in this category include Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, and Afghanistan because of ongoing conflict, crime, and political instability. However, North Korea is the only country in which “all U.S. passports are invalid for travel to, in, or through the DPRK unless specially validated for such travel under the authority of the Secretary of State”, even though there is no active combat or ensuing violence in country. Compared to these other nations, North Korea possess low risk.

One of the main reasons the State Department has given for this strict travel restriction to North Korea is the lack of any diplomatic presence within the country. If anything were to happen to a U.S. citizen, the U.S. government could not directly intervene. Instead, U.S. detainees in the DPRK have to be negotiated by the Swedish government. On the travel advisory website, it states that “the North Korean government routinely delays or denies Swedish officials access to detained U.S. citizens”, which further complicates the situation. But there have only been 20 U.S. detainees since 1996, which is over a span of 28 years. This pales in comparison with U.S. detentions in many other countries. Thousands of U.S. citizens have safely traveled to the DPRK for years. (The exact number of U.S. travelers is unknown but Korean-Americans alone are estimated to be at least 6,000).

Therefore, a travel restriction to the DPRK is not as much about the high risk of detainment but more about political pressure from the U.S. government. A diplomatic liaison office could remedy all of that, and the good news is that an office already exists for that very purpose.

Despite this blanket travel restriction to the DPRK, though, the U.S. Department of State does grant special validation passports if the trip is in the national interest of the United States. Specifically, journalists, representatives of the Red Cross, and humanitarian workers are allowed to apply for these special validation passports. However, only organizations that prove a well-established history of traveling to the DPRK and sufficient documentation showing the need for multiple trips are permitted. Thankfully, the State Department is now issuing special validation passports for two-year periods for organizations and individuals who qualify. Ignis Community has been one such organization to have been fortunate to receive these passports.

Clearly more work needs to be done to improve DPRK-USA relations. Continual efforts to dialogue and promote peace between the U.S. and North Korea are necessary. For now, humanitarian workers are awaiting the opportunity to return to working on the ground as North Korea starts to re-engage with the international community.