US House passes bill to relist NK as terror sponsor

In a fresh bout of pressure ahead of a US-China summit, the US Congress’ lower chamber on Monday approved a bill calling for North Korea to be relisted as a state sponsor of terrorism, and a resolution condemning its ongoing development of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The House of Representatives voted 394-1 and 398-3 to pass the legislation and the resolution on a fast track, respectively, only five days after its foreign relations committee endorsed them.

The bipartisan bill, now headed to the Senate, recounts a multitude of cases that may meet the conditions for blacklisting. They include the North’s suspected support for Iran and Syria, both of which are already on the list, and terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as its cyberattacks on South Korean nuclear power plants in 2014 and Sony Pictures in 2015.

It also requires the State Department to submit a report on whether Pyongyang has carried out any terror-related activities within 90 days of the enactment.

“It is the sense of the Congress that the government of North Korea likely meets the criteria for designation as a state sponsor of terrorism and, if so, should be so designated,” the text reads.

“North Korea has failed to live up to its 2008 commitments to verifiably dismantle its nuclear weapons program and appears to have continued to support acts of international terrorism after its removal from the list.”

Washington blacklisted the communist state in 1988 following its midair bombing of a Korean Air passenger plane, killing all 115 aboard, but lifted it in 2008 as part of six-nation nuclear negotiations.

Calls have been growing for the redesignation as the Kim Jong-un regime accelerates its nuclear and missile programs in defiance of international resolutions. The campaign has been gathering steam especially since the Feb. 13 assassination in Malaysia of Kim Jong-nam, the half brother of the young leader, Seoul officials say.

Any return to the list would make Pyongyang subject to further sanctions on trade, investment, assistance, financial transactions and other engagement with the US.

The resolution, meanwhile, denounced a series of provocations staged by the North since early last year, including its fourth and fifth nuclear tests, launch of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, and threats to fire an ICBM.

It urges the prompt deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system in South Korea, while calling for China to further pressure Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear and missile programs by cutting economic aid and trade.

The swift passage was deemed veiled pressure on Beijing, with US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping set for their first summit later this week.

In an interview with the Financial Times published Sunday, Trump also said China will have to “decide to help us” with North Korea or the US could act alone.

Seoul welcomed the legislature’s move, saying it reflects Congress’ extensive support for the need for the allies to jointly respond to China’s escalating economic retaliation against South Korea over its decision to host THAAD.

“We believe the US-China summit will provide pivotal opportunities in tackling the North Korean nuclear issues,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Cho June-hyuck said at a news briefing Tuesday. “The rare, prompt approval (of the two documents) demonstrates the US’ strong resolve to ramp up sanctions and pressure against the North, and pressure also against China.”

Rep. Ed Royce, a Republican who chairs the committee, lauded the texts’ approval as a step to deter the North’s pursuit of a fully armed nuclear state, which poses “urgent and real” threats.

“It is time for us to ramp up the pressure,” he said in a statement. “By passing these measures, we are taking important steps to push back against North Korea’s dangerous ambitions.”

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)