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DPRK denounces US for terrorism blacklist

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-08-18 22:50

PYONGYANG -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) denounced the United States on Monday for breaking its promise to remove the DPRK from its terrorism blacklist.

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The United States has breached the basic "action for action" principle of denuclearization, even though the DPRK has submitted the declaration of its nuclear inventory, said a commentary by the official KCNA news agency.

This shows the United States is attempting to stonewall the six-party talks aimed at the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and to impose pressure on the DPRK, the commentary said.

Whenever the United States attempts to delay the nuclear talks, it raises human rights issues against the DPRK, KCNA said, referring to US President George W. Bush's call for improved human rights in the DPRK while visiting South Korea in earlier this month.

His comments were intended to impede the denuclearization process, alleged KCNA, adding that the raising of the human rights issue by the United States is aimed at provoking the DPRK and diverting the six-party talks.

The DPRK handed over the details of its nuclear program in late June and the United States was supposed to have begun the procedure of removing the country from its list of terrorism sponsors accordingly.

However, the DPRK still remains on the list as the United States has made verification of the declaration a precondition for its removal, an issue on which the two sides are still in dispute.