Trump designates North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism

President Trump plans to designate North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism on Monday, years after the hermit nation was removed from the list during the George W. Bush administration.

Speaking to members of his Cabinet, Trump said the designation "should have happened a long time ago." The White House expects the move to put further pressure on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to abandon his nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

"This designation will impose further sanctions and penalties on North Korea... and supports our maximum pressure campaign to isolate the murderous regime," the president told reporters, noting that the Treasury Department is set to announce additional sanctions against North Korea on Tuesday.

The decision to return North Korea to the list of state sponsors of terrorism comes days after Trump returned from a 12-day swing through Asia, where he met with Chinese, Japanese and South Korean officials to discuss Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

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