On Monday during a Cabinet meeting, President Donald Trump announced that he intends on declaring North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism.
“In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism including assassinations on foreign soil,” Trump said.
North Korea would join Iran, Sudan and Syria on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terror.
Trey Yingst (Twitter)
Speaking on declaring North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism, Trump said it “should’ve happened a long time ago, should’ve happened years ago.”
“Today the United States is designating North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism,” Trump said. “North Korea ‘must end its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile development.'”
Trump said the decision is part of the United States’ “maximum pressure campaign” against North Korea, as it will impose more penalties on the country.
The move would put North Korea back on the list of state sponsors of terror after it lost that designation back in 2008, when a deal was being salvaged to stop its nuclear development. Since 2008, North Korea has continued to develop its nuclear program by firing a number of missiles earlier this year.
The killing of Kim Jong Un’s estranged half-brother earlier this year was cited by U.S. officials as an act of terrorism.
