The US is considering putting North Korea back on its terrorist blacklist in light of the communist country's recent nuclear tests and missile launches, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in an interview broadcast on Sunday.
Clinton told US broadcaster ABC that Pyongyang's latest actions were "very provocative and belligerent" and possible grounds for reinstating North Korea on the list from which it was removed last October.
"Obviously they were taken off the list for a purpose and that purpose is being thwarted by their actions," Clinton told ABC.
The US administration hopes that Pyongyang will interpret the message of warning positively and persuade them to make some concessions regarding their nuclear programme.
Several US Congress members have been pressing for North Korea's reinstatement to the list of states that provide support for acts of international terrorism.