2 Years In North Korea. Pt. 1/3
Freedom to Travel: A Fundamental Right and Necessity for Progress on the Korean Peninsula
Our return to the Korean Peninsula took us not to the northern half where we had previously been, but to our ally, South Korea.
In early 2014, we moved to the Jilin Province of China to begin cultural exchange initiatives in North Korea when our oldest child was just five months old. It may sound crazy for parents to take their young child to live in North Korea, but if all you know about a place comes from the internet and establishment media platforms, you're getting a distorted picture.
A few months after arriving in Jilin Province, we received permission to enter the special economic zone of Rason, North Korea. Contrary to popular belief, we never felt threatened or unsafe. Instead, the people we encountered were welcoming and curious, especially about our baby who had blond hair and blue eyes. This curiosity makes sense given that North Korea is the most homogenous country in the world.
In spring 2015, we learned we were expecting our second child. Due to concerns about medical care in the region, we decided to return to our home state in the US for the birth. Afterward, we planned to stay in the US for a couple of years to raise awareness and support before returning to our humanitarian and cultural exchange work in North Korea.
Several months after returning to the US, our second daughter was born. While in the US, we continued to raise awareness about issues on the Korean Peninsula, hoping to return as soon as possible. However, in 2017, the United States Department of State imposed a travel ban on Americans entering North Korea, primarily influenced by the imprisonment and death of American college student, Otto Warmbier. This travel ban remains in effect today.
The global catastrophe of the Covid-19 pandemic that began in late 2019/early 2020 further prevented anyone from returning to North Korea, and the country is still restricting foreigners from re-entering as of the writing of this article.
So, we continued to work and live in the US, but the years quickly passed, and now we find ourselves back on the Korean Peninsula since November 2022. We returned to South Korea to resume our language studies, now with two kids in tow, because there weren't many opportunities to practice Korean in our mid-South state of the United States.
The US State Department's travel ban on American citizens visiting North Korea has been in place since 2017, under both the Trump and Biden administrations. We are told the ban is intended to protect American citizens, but it is counterproductive and detrimental to progress on the Korean Peninsula.
Firstly, the travel ban limits American citizens' ability to freely travel, which is both a constitutional and religious right. Freely traveling allows us to engage with the people of North Korea, gaining a deeper understanding of the country and its culture—an essential process for fostering positive change.
This lack of understanding is a major barrier to improving relations between our two countries and achieving a peaceful resolution throughout the Korean Peninsula. By lifting the travel ban, experienced American professionals could bridge this gap and build better relations with the people of North Korea.
Secondly, the travel ban unjustly limits the ability of American citizens to provide life-saving humanitarian aid and support to those in need in North Korea. The country is facing a humanitarian crisis with widespread food shortages and limited access to basic medical care due to sanctions. While exemptions are granted to specific humanitarian workers, these often don't include essential assistants or family members, who are integral to the overall engagement and services provided.
The travel ban is a violation of American citizens' rights to freely travel and, for those who practice their faith by providing for the needs of others, a violation of religious rights.
The United States prides itself on freedom and democracy, but the current travel ban restricts the freedom of American citizens to travel—a basic human right. Lifting the ban would restore these rights and send a message to the world that the United States truly believes in freedom, including the freedom to travel to any country.
Furthermore, since America has no other representation in North Korea besides the humanitarian and cultural exchange workers permitted to travel there before the 2017 travel ban, the US has virtually no positive influence in the country. This lack of representation makes it even more challenging to reach an end to the Korean War in the near future.
Turkey is often referred to as the "gate to the East." In a similar vein, the Korean Peninsula could be considered another gateway, currently bricked-in and closed. However, once fully opened, the Korean Peninsula would be poised for immense positive impact throughout the Eastern hemisphere.
To move forward and foster positive change on the Korean Peninsula, it is essential for the United States to reconsider and lift the travel ban on North Korea. Doing so would allow for a greater understanding of the country and its culture, build better relations with its people, and enable American citizens to provide much-needed humanitarian aid and support. Ultimately, lifting the travel ban would demonstrate the United States' commitment to freedom and democracy, while promoting peace and progress in the region.
This is the end of Part 1. Click Here for Part 2.
Excellent discussion.