YONHAP NEWS

(LEAD) N.K. must denuke to get off terrorism list: U.S.

   WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (Yonhap) -- The White House said Wednesday that North Korea will not be taken off the U.S. list of terrorism-sponsoring states until it has fully disclosed its nuclear programs.

   "Right now we are waiting on North Korea to release or to give to us their complete and accurate declaration of all of their nuclear activities, including proliferation activities," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

   "We don't have that yet from them. Therefore, there's not any movement on any of the other parts of the agreement."
"I would say it's definitely not imminent," Perino said of prospects of North Korea's removal.

   Dell Dailey, a coordinator for counterterrorism at the State Department, told reporters on Tuesday that North Korea seems to have met the legal criteria required to go off the annually announced list of countries the U.S. suspects of supporting terrorism. Pyongyang was designated soon after its agents blew up a South Korean passenger jet in 1987, killing all 115 people aboard.

   Legal requirements include not having been involved in any activities or support of terrorist acts for the past six months and a pledge not to do so in the future.

   "It appears that North Korea has complied with those criteria," Dailey had said.

   Getting delisted would be one of North Korea's most prized rewards for denuclearization, sought through a six-nation forum involving South and North Korea, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan. Through a series of agreements struck since September 2005, Pyongyang agreed to ultimately give up its nuclear weapons and programs.

   But the process has been dragged down by North Korea's failure to meet a deadline at the end of last year to submit a declaration detailing nuclear weapons and fissile material it possesses as well as any proliferation activities.

   In statements issued over consecutive days, Pyongyang charged that it is the U.S. that is not implementing the six-party deal by delaying North Korea's removal from the terrorism list. Earlier Wednesday, a pro-Pyongyang newspaper said the North is still willing to denuclearize if the U.S. honors its commitments.

   ldm@yna.co.kr
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