The United States is likely to re-designate North Korea as a state sponsoring terrorism in response to the North’s alleged cyber attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment.
 
Multiple sources in Washington said that the United States has launched a review on designating Pyongyang as a state sponsor of terrorism in its “proportional response” to the North.
 
The sources said that the results of the review will be reported to President Barack Obama, who vowed Friday to “respond proportionally” to the North’s alleged cyber attack.
 
Pyongyang was put on the U.S. terrorism sponsor list for the 1987 bombing of a Korean Airlines flight, but was removed from the list in November 2008.
 
If Washington puts the North back on the list, it will likely have a significant impact on bilateral relations.
 
Currently, four nations are on the list; Cuba, Iran, Syria and Sudan, and these countries face various sanctions and disadvantages in trade, investment, aid and international credibility.