North Korea closer to being struck off US terror list

US nuclear envoy Christopher Hill told the North Koreans at a Geneva meeting at the weekend that there were only a few more issues that needed to be resolved before Pyongyang's removal from the blacklist, the official said Tuesday.

"My understanding is that he made it pretty clear to them that the remaining issues -- at least on the terrorism list piece of this -- are not that extensive," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official said the outstanding issues included North Korea's explanation over its alleged involvement in the 1987 midair bombing of Korean Airlines Flight 858, which killed all 115 people aboard.

"What I also am trying to get away from is the notion that this is purely going to be, 'we just decide we are going to do it and they don't have to answer the questions about (the KAL issue) and couple of other things that got them on the list in the first place," the official told AFP.