U.S. NAMES N.KOREA AS TERROR-SUPPORTING NATION

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The United States has again named North Korea as a terrorism-supporting nation. In its 2019 report on terrorism, the U.S. State Department wrote that although there are currently no North Korean threats, the regime has failed to take action on past support of international terrorism. Meanwhile, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense David Helvey said the solid readiness of the U.S. and South Korea, helps the denuclearization process and stressed that American polices on North Korea still focus on denuclearization.

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The Country Reports on Terrorism 2019 issued by the U.S. State Department lists and assesses each nation's activities on terrorism. North Korea was again named a state sponsor of terrorism following the regime's re-entry onto the list in 2017. The Department accused Pyongyang of providing shelter to the Japanese Red Army members, wanted by the Japanese government for their involvement in hijacking a Japanese civilian aircraft in 1970. Four Red Army members are known to be currently living in North Korea. The U.S. designated the regime as a state sponsor of terrorism in the year following the bombing of a Korean Airlines flight in 1987. But the designation was rescinded in 2008 in accordance with the six-way nuclear talks. North Korea was mentioned in less than a page of the latest report which has more than 300 pages. Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense David Helvey stressed at the ROK-US Strategic Forum 2020 that America's policy on North Korea still focuses on denuclearization. The online event was co-hosted by the Korea Foundation and the American think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies.

[Soundbite] DAVID HELVEY(ACTING DEPUTY ASST. SEC'Y. OF DEFENSE) : "In his keynote speech at the forum, South Korean vice foreign minister Cho Sei-young emphasized the importance of the U.N. Command's role and status in the evolution of Seoul-Washington alliance and that Koreans believe that their country should now step forward in maintaining peace and security. The official also highlighted that Korea spends 2.6% of its GDP on national defense, more than any American ally."