US denies North Korea off terror list

Hill’s comments were the first US denial since North Korea’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement carried Monday by the country’s official news agency, said that Washington decided to scotch the terror designation and with it related economic sanctions. The North Korean statement said the change came in a weekend meeting between Hill and his counterpart in Geneva.

Under a deal reached in February after years of tortuous negotiations, North Korea agreed to relinquish its nuclear programs, including one that has produced bomb material. In return, Washington agreed to open talks on normalising relations with the North, enemies since the Korean War, and explore removing the terrorism designation.

Hill suggested that North Korea first needs to go further in dismantling its nuclear programs before the US will take it off the terrorism list.

“Getting off the list will depend on further denuclearisation,” Hill told reporters later Tuesday.