Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) issued the following statement on North Korea:

“I applaud the administration for relisting North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. Over the past year alone, Kim Jong Un and his regime brazenly assassinated his brother with a chemical weapon and brutally tortured Otto Warmbier, leading directly to his tragic death. These aren’t isolated incidents, but are examples of a consistent pattern of terror. The regime also continues its push to develop nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles, threatening global security. This designation – endorsed by a high-ranking North Korean defector who recently testified before the committee – rightly exposes the Kim regime’s utter disregard for human life and is an important step in our efforts to apply maximum diplomatic and financial pressure on Kim Jong Un.”

Note: Last month, Chairman Royce joined several of his colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary Tillerson calling on him to relist North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. He is also the author of the law that required the administration to make a decision on relisting the Kim regime.

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