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US President Donald Trump

The Trump administration has added North Korea to a list of countries subject to an anti-immigration executive order limiting or banning entry to the US. Trump announced the addition of North Korea to the travel ban list in a presidential proclamation on the evening of Sept. 24.

“North Korea does not cooperate with the United States Government in any respect [in terms of information about those attempting entry] and fails to satisfy all information-sharing requirements,” the proclamation stated.

In the proclamation, Trump stated the terms as applying to “immigrants and non-immigrants” - effectively banning entry to the US for all North Korean nationals.

A presidential proclamation is used by the executive branch to announce the official validity of a specific event, law, or regulation and holds legal force on par with an executive order. But while an executive order is a directive internal to the administration, a presidential proclamation is more of an announcement outside the government.

The proclamation was renewed on Sept. 24 after a 90-day entry ban that went into effect on June 29 for nationals from six predominantly Muslim countries expired that day. Since July, the administration has enlisted the cooperation of governments around the world to select which countries would be subject to entry restrictions or bans with the renewal. The new proclamation, which enters effect on Oct. 18, omits Sudan from among six predominantly Muslim countries previously subject to travel restrictions or bans (including Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia), while adding North Korea, Venezuela, and Chad.

Exemptions to the proclamation are granted to diplomats and employees of international organizations, which means it will not affect members of the North Korean mission to the UN. Exemptions may also be granted in cases where entry by a national of one of the countries “would be in the national interest.” For this reason, the situation is not expected to change much for North Korean officials and experts arriving to participate in track 1.5 dialogue with the US. The US State Department currently conducts reviews and visa issuance for North Korean officials attempting to enter the country for track 1.5 dialogue.

In connection with the measure, even US officials acknowledged that very few North Koreans attempt to enter the US, Reuters reported. For this reason, the proclamation is being seen more as a way of diminishing North Korea’s reputation than of achieving practical aims.　

By Yi Yong-in, Washington correspondent

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