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Congressman Brad Sherman Statement on the North Korea Travel Ban

September 10, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32), senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement:

“To the dismay of many Korean Americans, Secretary Rubio recently renewed the ban on U.S. citizen travel to North Korea for the 10th consecutive year. About 100,000 Korean Americans still hope to have family reunification meetings with aging relatives in North Korea, and the ban makes it impossible for them to do so. It is time for the State Department to revise its policy so that Korean Americans can have the opportunity to attend funerals or burials in North Korea and to heal the wounds of years-long separations.”

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