North Korea 'Should Be Back On US Terror List'

North Korea has increased its "material support" for terrorist organisations and should be placed back on America's list of nations that are state sponsors of terrorism, according to new report.

The Pyongyang regime, at the time under the command of Kim Jong-il, was taken off the list in 2008 by President George W Bush, who hoped to improve relations with the country.

But according to a the report, written by North Korea expert Joshua Stanton for the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK), America's standards for defining state sponsors of terror are "vague and inconsistent".

The report - titled "Arsenal of Terror" - recommends that the US Congress and State Department clarify the legal standards that define state sponsorship of terrorism and consider re-listing North Korea.

"Since 2008, North Korea has increased its use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy, and also appears to have increased its material support for designated terrorist organisations," said HRNK Executive Director Greg Scarlatoiu.

"North Korea's recent conduct poses a particular threat to human rights activists and dissidents in exile.

"It has also repeatedly threatened the civilian population of South Korea and other nations, including the United States," he added.

The US currently lists Iran, Syria, Sudan and Cuba as state sponsors of terrorism, though Cuba is to be removed following the restoration of US relations with the Castro regime.

The report details several instances of North Korea's alleged support of terrorism.

In 2009, just one year after it was removed from the blacklist, there were several interceptions of North Korean shipments "to Iran and its terrorist clients (that) evidenced the importance of North Korea's role as a supplier of arms to terrorists backed by Iran," the report states.

"News reports have alleged that these arms were destined for Iran's terrorist clients, including Hezbollah and Hamas," Mr Stanton added.

He also detailed several cyberattacks blamed on North Korea, including last year's massive hack of Sony Pictures .

Washington accuses Pyongyang of being behind the hack that led to the release of embarrassing company emails and caused Sony executives to halt the debut of the film The Interview.