The WEF said in a statement Wednesday that an invitation had been extended to North Korea in the autumn "in view of positive signs coming out of the country." The North Koreans had accepted the invitation.
The statement said, however, that following the Jan. 6 nuclear test, claimed to be of a hydrogen bomb, the North Korean delegation would be subject to "existing and possible forthcoming sanctions."
"Given the recent discussions, we cannot maintain the invitation we have issued last year," the WEF said.
The West and several countries have been looking for ways to punish North Korea following the Jan. 6 test
The WEF added that a delegation would still be welcome if North Korea "acts as a responsible and responsive member of the international community." It did not elaborate.
The announcement came as WEF organizers provided a list of notables expected to attend the Jan. 20-23 conference in the luxurious Alpine resort, including U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, and Prime Ministers Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, David Cameron of Britain and Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan.
The 46th annual WEF meeting is expected to draw more than 2,500 participants — mostly business leaders — from over 100 countries under the theme "Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution."
- AP
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