On Tuesday, North Korea stated that the recent U.S. announcement of countries subject to entry bans, which excluded North Korea, was unacceptable. The regime declared that whether North Korea is included or not is of no concern to them.
North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency published an article by international affairs commentator Kim Myong-chol titled “U.S. Entry Issue Is Not Our Concern.” Kim argued that if the current U.S. administration thinks it would view permission to enter the U.S. as some gift, they are sorely mistaken.
This statement was released in response to the U.S. recently imposing a total entry ban on citizens from 12 countries, including Iran, while notably excluding North Korea. Some analysts interpreted this exclusion as a sign of a more conciliatory U.S. stance toward North Korea, potentially opening the door for dialogue.
The commentator noted that only the U.S. can explain whether North Korea’s exclusion was due to purely technical reasons or political intentions. He emphasized that even if the current U.S. administration deliberately left North Korea off the entry ban list, it has no interest in it and no reason to celebrate. This assertion underscores North Korea’s lack of interest in dialogue with the U.S., regardless of the intentions of the U.S.
Kim further stated that, as in the past, North Korea will not welcome Americans into the country in the future. He added that it will not evaluate U.S. actions based on anyone’s hopeful speculations or subjective interpretations. Furthermore, it will deal with the U.S. based on reality and its own independent judgment.
On June 4, the U.S. announced a proclamation restricting entry for 19 countries due to national security and public safety concerns. Notably, North Korea and Russia, which were expected to be included in the entry ban, were excluded from the list.