Top 10 world news events in 2008

4. No smooth sailing on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (4th L) takes a group photo with top nuclear negotiators in a fresh round of talks on the denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, on Dec. 11, 2008.

On June 26, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) submitted its nuclear declaration after a delay of almost six months. The same day, the United States launched the process of removing the DPRK from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, but later put off the process, saying its nuclear declaration needed verification.

On Aug. 26, the DPRK said it had stopped disabling its nuclear reactor in Yongbyon and began to restore its nuclear facilities to their original state.

On Oct. 11, the United States removed the DPRK from its terrorism blacklist after the two sides reached an agreement on the verification of the DPRK's nuclear program. The DPRK soon restored disabling its nuclear reactor.

Differences between the United States and the DPRK over the verification came out into the open on Nov. 12. On Dec. 11, delegation chiefs of the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue failed to reach a consensus on how to verify the DPRK's nuclear program and the United States announced it would reconsider its policies on the DPRK.