US urges N. Korea, 7 others to join Chemical Weapons Convention

WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- A top U.S. diplomat in charge of arms control and nonproliferation demanded Tuesday that North Korea and seven other nations immediately join the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

"Eight states including Syria have chosen to remain outside of the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the United States calls upon all of them to join the Convention without delay," Rose E. Gottemoeller, acting under secretary of state for arms control and international security, said in a statement.