Based upon the cooperation and agreements North Korea has recently provided, and the fact that the D.P.R.K. has met the statutory criteria for rescission, the Secretary of State has rescinded the designation of the D.P.R.K. as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, effective immediately.

North Korea has stated it will resume disablement of its nuclear facilities. This demonstrates that the Six-Party principle of “action for action” is working.

We welcome the recent progress made in discussions between Japan and the D.P.R.K. toward addressing Japan’s concerns, particularly those arising from the D.P.R.K.’s past abductions of Japanese nationals. We strongly urge the D.P.R.K. to address Japan’s concerns without further delay. The United States wholeheartedly supports Japan’s position on the abduction issue. We have not forgotten and will never forget the suffering of the abductees and their families.

The D.P.R.K. remains subject to numerous sanctions resulting from its 2006 nuclear test, its proliferation activities, its human rights violations, and its status as a communist state.

The United States will continue to work toward the verifiable end to all North Korean nuclear programs and activities. We will not stop until this work is done.