State media KCNA said on Friday that the foreign ministry of North Korea criticised a new UN human rights expert as “biased” and that the nation would not accept what it dubbed US-led efforts to destroy the isolated dictatorship.
Elizabeth Salmon, the newly appointed U.N. specialist on North Korea’s human rights, is in South Korea for the first time since taking office last month. Salmon stated in her inauguration speech that after more than two years of stringent measures to stop COVID-19, the North’s human rights situation has gotten worse.
According to an unnamed Ministry of Foreign Affairs source quoted by KCNA, “We had already made clear our principled stand that we neither recognise nor deal with any ‘special rapporteur’ who is merely a puppet of the US.”
The North Korean government has consistently denied allegations of human rights violations and criticised UN probes into the topic as an attempt by the United States to meddle in its domestic affairs.
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The official, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), said: “The DPRK will never pardon the US and its vassal forces’ ‘human rights’ racket against the DPRK which is aimed at overthrowing its social system.”
According to a different recent UN study, increased information access restrictions, tougher border security, and increased digital surveillance have all resulted from North Korea’s efforts to manage the coronavirus.
Later on Friday, Salmon was scheduled to address a press conference.
(with inputs from agencies)
