South Korea, Japan welcome U.S. relisting North Korea as sponsor of terrorism

FILE PHOTO - A soldier salutes from atop an armoured vehicle as it drives past the stand with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of country's founding father Kim Il Sung, in Pyongyang April 15, 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea and Japan on Tuesday welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's move to put North Korea back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism, saying it will ramp up pressure on the reclusive regime to get rid of its nuclear weapons.

The designation, announced on Monday, allows the United States to impose more sanctions on North Korea, which is pursuing nuclear weapons and missile programmes in defiance of U.N. Security Council sanctions.