US may put North Korea back on list of states that sponsor terror

Donald Trump’s national security adviser says North Korea could return to the list of countries Washington claims sponsor terrorism, as part of the president’s strategy to counter any threat posed by Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.

“You’ll hear more about that soon, I think,” H.R. McMaster said at a briefing before Trump’s five-nation tour of Asia, which starts on Sunday. North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes will be a focus of Trump’s meetings with the leaders of Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines during the 12-day trip, the president’s first official visit to the region.

McMaster cited the killing in a Malaysian airport earlier this year of the estranged half-brother of North Korea’s leader as an act of terrorism that could lead to the North’s being added back to a list that only includes Iran, Sudan and Syria.

While Malaysia has not directly accused North Korea, South Korea’s spy agency has claimed the attack was part of a plot by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to kill his half-brother Kim Jong-nam.