State Department to extend ban on US citizens’ travel to N. Korea

The US State Department will extend a ban on US citizens’ travel to North Korea through to August 31, 2019, according to a notice posted online on Thursday. The two countries are in talks aimed at cooling tensions between them, but the State Department said it remains concerned about the threat of arrest and long-term detention of US nationals in North Korea. The notice of the year-long extension will be officially published in the Federal Register on Friday. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday hailed his personal relationship North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and said there was no reason to resume war games with South Korea. His statement came days after a planned visit to North Korea by the US top diplomat was canceled over insufficient progress in denuclearization talks.