The U.S. Government to Designate North Korea as a State Sponsor of Terrorism

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States would designate North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. Mr. Trump, speaking firmly at his cabinet meeting, emphasized that the identification of North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism would lead to sanctions against the country and that this decision, which should have been made long ago, is part of the U.S. 'pressure escalation' policy against North Korea. Currently, the United States recognizes Iran, Sudan, and Syria as state sponsors of terrorism, and now, based on Mr. Trump's announcement, North Korea will be added to this list. Mr. Trump added that 'North Korea, in addition to threatening the world with nuclear destruction, has repeatedly supported international terrorist acts, including the assassination of individuals outside its borders.' The Associated Press reported that the designation of North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism has been discussed within the U.S. government in recent months, with some officials at the State Department believing that North Korea does not meet the legal standards to remain off the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The report adds that U.S. officials have described the assassination of the half-brother of North Korea's leader at a Malaysian airport last winter as a terrorist act. The Associated Press, citing U.S. officials involved in internal discussions on this matter, stated that there is no doubt that the assassination of the North Korean leader's half-brother in Malaysia is a terrorist act, although legal experts believe that more than one incident should be referenced in this case. These officials, whose names have not been disclosed due to restrictions on speaking about these discussions, also noted that there is disagreement on whether the treatment process of an American student imprisoned in North Korea—who recently died after being released due to his injuries—could be considered terrorism. North Korea was on the list of state sponsors of terrorism until 2008, when the George W. Bush administration removed it from the list as part of an agreement to halt the country's nuclear program. Negotiations aimed at stopping North Korea's nuclear program failed a year later, and since then, North Korea has made advancements in its nuclear and missile programs. The country recently claimed that all of the U.S. territory is within the range of its missiles. The Associated Press report states that Donald Trump was under pressure from American lawmakers to review the list of state sponsors of terrorism, although there were concerns that re-including North Korea on this list could escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.