U.S. maintains weapons trade embargo on N. Korea for lack of cooperation

By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, May 20 (Yonhap) -- The United States has maintained North Korea on
its list of countries subject to weapons trade embargoes for their lack of
cooperation in U.S. anti-terrorism efforts.

"Pursuant of section 40A of the Arms Export Control Act and Executive Order
11958, as amended, I hereby determine and certify to the Congress that the
following countries are not cooperating fully with United States antiterrorism
efforts: Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Syria and
Venezuela," James Steinberg, deputy secretary of state, said in a statement in
the Federal Register dated May 8.
The designation is separate from the State Department's list of state sponsors of
terrorism, from which North Korea was dropped in October when then Assistant
Secretary of State Christopher Hill visited Pyongyang to agree verbally on a
verification protocol for the North's nuclear facilities.
In the latest round of the six-party talks in December, however, North Korea
refused to agree to a verification regime to clarify its present and past nuclear
activity, producing another major hurdle to the six-party talks, which have been
on and off for the past six years.
North Korea recently said it will boycott the multilateral nuclear talks, restart
its disabled nuclear facilities and conduct further nuclear and missile tests to
protest international sanctions imposed for its April 5 rocket launch, which it
claims put a satellite in orbit.
Some analysts say the North's provocations are its traditional brinkmanship to up
the ante before engaging in dialogue for further concessions, while others say
the North's internal upheaval after leader Kim Jong-il's health problems gave
more power to the hardline military.
hdh@yna.co.kr
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