Title 22, Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-102

§9227 Travel Recommendations for United States Citizens to North Korea

Title 22 › CHAPTER 99 — NORTH KOREA SANCTIONS AND POLICY ENHANCEMENT › SUBCHAPTER II — SANCTIONS AGAINST NORTH KOREAN PROLIFERATION, HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES, AND ILLICIT ACTIVITIES › § 9227

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of State must broaden travel warnings for all U.S. citizens traveling to North Korea and issue or update those warnings at least every 90 days. The warnings must include public or reliable open-source details about U.S. citizens’ arrests and detentions (how and why they were held, how long, legal steps, and conditions), information on past and current detentions or abductions of U.S., South Korean, or Japanese citizens, unclassified material from State Department and U.N. reports about North Korea (including weapons of mass destruction, illegal activities, sanctions violations, and human rights), and any other information the Secretary thinks would help give a full picture, including cases during the 10-year period ending on February 18, 2016.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §9227

Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Secretary of State shall expand the scope and frequency of issuance of travel warnings for all United States citizens to North Korea. The expanded travel warnings, which should be issued or updated not less frequently than every 90 days, should include—

(1)publicly released or credible open source information regarding the detention of United States citizens by North Korean authorities, including available information on circumstances of arrest and detention, duration, legal proceedings, and conditions under which a United States citizen has been, or continues to be, detained by North Korean authorities, including present-day cases and cases occurring during the 10-year period ending on February 18, 2016;

(2)publicly released or credible open source information on the past and present detention and abduction or alleged abduction of citizens of the United States, South Korea, or Japan by North Korean authorities;

(3)unclassified information about the nature of the North Korean regime, as described in congressionally mandated reports and annual reports issued by the Department of State and the United Nations, including information about North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction programs, illicit activities, international sanctions violations, and human rights situation; and

(4)any other information that the Secretary deems useful to provide United States citizens with a comprehensive picture of the nature of the North Korean regime.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 9227

Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102