US envoy: North Korea sanctions, travel ban to be reviewed to help with aid

The U.S. plans to review sanctions it has placed on North Korea as well as a ban on U.S. citizens from traveling to the nation, a U.S. envoy said Wednesday.

Aid groups have said that sanctions on North Korea have made it difficult to get humanitarian assistance to the country, Reuters reported. 

{mosads}Stephen Biegun, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, told reporters in Seoul that he would be reviewing the sanctions, according to Reuters.

“I’ll be sitting down with American aid groups early in the new year to discuss how we can better ensure the delivery of appropriate assistance,” Biegun said as he arrived to meet with officials in South Korea over the next four days.

The Trump administration originally announced a ban last year on Americans traveling to North Korea. The State Department said at the time that Americans hoping to get to North Korea to deliver humanitarian aid would be able to apply through the department.