TOKYO (AFP) — The United States will remove North Korea from a terrorism blacklist later Saturday, Japan's Kyodo News reported, quoting a senior US administration official.
Kyodo did not give any details nor name the US official in its report which was datelined from Washington.
Reports from several countries have said the United States is close to removing North Korea from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism in the hope of saving a crumbling six-country nuclear disarmament deal with the North.
The United States insists it must have agreement on inspection procedures for the North's nuclear complex before it can delist the state -- which is preparing to restart its main Yongbyon complex in protest at the delay.
The hardline communist state accepted the landmark deal in February 2007 in return for diplomatic concessions and energy aid, and just four months after staging its first nuclear weapons test.
The US State Department on Friday said it must bridge gaps with its partners over the plan to verify the North's disarmament before it strikes Pyongyang from the blacklist.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said "no decision has been taken yet" on delisting North Korea, after saying that the United States and its negotiating partners were still discussing verification steps.
The six-nation talks involve the United States, the two Koreas, Russia, Japan and host China.
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