WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- A U.S. State Department official has denied an advisory warning against travel to North Korea was issued because of the detention of an American in Pyongyang.
Jen Psaki, a department spokeswoman, said during a Wednesday briefing that travel advisories are "never based on a single case" but updated "when new information becomes available."
Four U.S. citizens have been arrested since January 2009 for entering North Korea illegally, the advisory says. Two U.S. citizens who entered the country with valid visas were detained on other charges.
U.S. citizen Merrill Newman was reported detained last month. Psaki said she could not confirm his detention, citing privacy laws.
Travel advisories are typically updated every six months. The latest advisory, issued Tuesday, replaced one posted Oct. 1.
The newest advisory "reflects recent events," Psaki said, but also "reports of North Korean authorities arbitrarily detaining U.S. citizens and not allowing them to depart the country."
