SEOUL: North Korea warned Saturday that the US will "pay dearly" if it relists Pyongyang as a state sponsor of terrorism following the murder of leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother in Malaysia last month. South Korean and Japanese media, citing diplomatic sources, have since reported that the US has been mulling placing the North back on its terror list, which includes Iran and Syria. The spokesman maintained that Pyongyang opposed "all forms of terrorism" and accused the US of trying to tarnish its reputation. The nuclear-armed North was first designated a state sponsor of terrorism in 1987 when its agents bombed a South Korean plane killing all 115 on board. The only North Korean to have been detained, Ri Jong Chol, was released this week due to lack of evidence.

Source: New Strait Times March 04, 2017 04:52 UTC