U.S. advises citizens against traveling to DPRK

The United States on Wednesday again advised its citizens against traveling to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to avoid the risk of being detained.

State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki reiterated a travel warning issued a day earlier by the agency, which noted that in the past 18 months the DPRK had detained several American citizens who were part of organized tours.

"U.S. citizens should not assume that joining a group tour or using a tour guide will protect them from being detained or arrested by North Korean authorities," she told reporters at a daily news briefing.

"We strongly recommend against all travel by United States citizens to North Korea," she added.

The U.S. has no diplomatic relations with the DPRK, and the embassy of Sweden is acting as Washington's protecting power in the country.