Two lawmakers have introduced a bill to ban Americans from traveling to North Korea for tourism.
Democrat Representative Adam Schiff and Republican Joe Wilson has proposed the North Korea Travel Act, which seeks to block all US tourist visas to North Korea and all other prospective travelers would need to obtain special permission.
"Tourist travel to North Korea does nothing but provide funds to a tyrannical regime – that will in turn be used to develop weapons to threaten the United States and our allies," they said in a joint statement.
"Worse, the regime has routinely imprisoned innocent foreign civilians and used them as bargaining chips to gain credibility with the West. We should not enable them any longer – which is why it is critical to carefully regulate travel to North Korea."
The bill would forbid all tourist visits and any other reason for travel such as family visits or humanitarian reasons for example, would be subject to vetting.
It seems to be a much more stringent version of procedures in place for travel to Cuba.
It also avoids Americans being used as possible human shields as tensions with Pyongyang continue to heat up.
"With increased tensions in North Korea, the danger that Americans will be detained for political reasons is greater than ever," Schiff said.
