TRUMP DECLARES PYONGYANG A TERROR SPONSOR

President Donald Trump announced Monday the U. S. is putting North Korea’s “murderous regime” on America’s terrorism blacklist, despite questions about Pyongyang’s support for international attacks beyond the assassination of its leader’s half- brother in February.

Trump said the designation was long overdue, and he promised a new wave of sanctions as part of a “maximum pressure campaign” over the North’s development of nuclear weapons that could soon pose a direct threat to the U.S. mainland.

North Korea will join Iran, Sudan and Syria on the list. The North had been designated for two decades until 2008 when it was removed in a bid to salvage international talks aimed at halting its nuclear efforts. The talks collapsed soon after.

The primary impact of the designation may be to compound North Korea’s growing international isolation as it is already subject to an array of tough U.S. sanctions restricting trade, foreign assistance, defence sales and exports of sensitive technology.