North Koreans are "not interested" in entering the country, according to a commentary published by state media.

A new travel ban preventing people from a dozen countries from entering the United States went into effect Monday.

Washington will not just stand up to what’s going on. We will lead on this issue, just like we have in the past,” Gov. Bob Ferguson said Tuesday.

Mohammad Sharafoddin, his wife and young son managed to make it out of Afghanistan as refugees nine years ago, at one point walking 36 hours over mountain passes.

The ban went into effect Monday, prohibiting people from 12 countries and heavily restricting people from seven other countries from entering the U.S.

The White House says the 12 countries on the list are "deficient with regards to screening and vetting" and are being targeted to protect U.S. national security.

Trump also tied the new ban to a terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, saying it underscored the dangers posed by some visitors who overstay visas. U.S. officials say the man charged in the attack overstayed a tourist visa. He is from Egypt, a country that is not on Trump’s restricted list.

Donald Trump's travel ban forbids entry into the US to citizens from dozens of countries, mainly in Africa and the Middle East.