North Korea "Hostile Forces Attempting to Tarnish National Dignity"
Guterres "Perpetrators of Human Rights Violations Must Be Investigated and Punished"
North Korea recently strongly condemned the 'Report on the Human Rights Situation in North Korea' issued under the name of United Nations Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres, calling it a "vicious anti-Republican conspiracy and confrontation document fabricated under the malicious intent of hostile forces to tarnish the image of our country."
Kim Sun-kyung, Vice Minister in charge of International Organizations at North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated in a commentary released on the 9th through the Korean Central News Agency, "I sternly denounce and condemn as an intolerable political provocation and an act of sovereignty infringement the hostile forces' machinations to slander our country's dignity and system by abusing the name of the UN."
North Korea argued that the report dealing with their appalling human rights situation is entirely fabricated and claimed that the UN is being manipulated by the United States. Vice Minister Kim said, "The hostile report, which is a mere replication of false and fabricated materials provided by impure forces opposing our Republic, clearly demonstrates that the UN Secretary-General is being manipulated by the hands of the US and its allied governments." He further criticized, "The current state of the UN, where the illegal and lawless US-style human rights standards rather than the UN Charter and universal international human rights laws serve as the criteria, is one of the main reasons why the global human rights situation has not improved."
Specifically targeting the United States, he said, "The sole and unique threat to the human rights of our people is the hostile policy of the United States and its allied forces against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," adding, "The government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will continue to faithfully fulfill its mission to thoroughly guarantee the people's well-being, welfare, and the right to a genuine life from the human rights violations committed by hostile forces."
Earlier, Secretary-General Guterres announced the 'Report on the Human Rights Situation in North Korea' to be submitted to the 79th UN General Assembly scheduled for later this month. The report contains findings from investigations conducted in North Korea from July last year to May this year. Secretary-General Guterres urged that perpetrators of human rights violations in North Korea be investigated and punished.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
