State Sponsors of Terrorism
During his second term, Bush pursued an agreement with North Korea to end its nuclear weapons programs. To prevent a collapse in the process, Bush agreed to remove North Korea from the State Department's list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, which Obama supported. Obama has criticized Bush for taking so long to engage with North Korea, and has indicated that he would be eager to engage in a more proactive diplomatic effort to reach an agreement. A senior North Korean official recently told reporters that "we are ready to deal" with the incoming Obama administration.