North Korea has directed criticism towards the United Nations, dismissing allegations of human rights violations against its citizens and describing those who defected from the country as "human scum."
These comments emerged after a session at the United Nations Security Council on Thursday, which discussed the situation in North Korea and raised concerns about Pyongyang's significant expenditure on its nuclear weapons program.
During the session, a North Korean defector shared that he was forced to work in fields without pay from an early age, and the grains they planted were entirely used by the military.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, addressed the session via video, stating that many of the abuses referred to contribute to the militarization of North Korea."
Türk further highlighted that the widespread use of forced labour - affecting political prisoners and school children - all contributes to the state's military apparatus and its capacity to produce weapons.
In response, a spokesperson for the Korean Association for Human Rights Studies conveyed in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency that the meeting "disparages and violates" the spirit of the UN Charter.
The spokesperson additionally noted that Pyongyang strongly condemns and opposes the United Nations Security Council's "tendency to use human rights as a bargaining chip regarding the situation in a specific country.
The statement also mentioned that the people of North Korea are well-aware of their human rights situation and accurately evaluate it themselves.
Furthermore, the official referred to North Korean defectors as "human scum who fled after deserting their country, parents, spouses, and children just to save their own dirty lives."
The listening session, prompted by the United States, marked the first discussion at the Security Council on human rights in North Korea in six years. Representatives from North Korea did not attend the session.
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