N. Korea accuses West of abusing human rights

▲ This illustration shows people's shadows against the North Korean flag. (Yonhap)

N Korea-human rights

N. Korea accuses West of abusing human rights

SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Monday accused the West of violating human rights while dismissing international criticism of its dire human rights conditions as it published a white paper on the issue.

Pyongyang made the accusation as it announced the publication of a white paper on human rights to mark the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations.

The North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said human rights are "ruthlessly abused" in the United States and Western countries, where gun violence, racial discrimination and abuse against women and children are "rampant."

The KCNA said North Korean residents, on the other hand, are fully enjoying their human rights as the regime is fulfilling its responsibility in the field of international human rights.

It accused the U.S. of attempting to topple the regime by taking issues with its human rights conditions, adding that human rights can "only be realized" when national sovereignty is defended.

The KCNA said the North has chosen the path to strengthen its national defense power to "put an eternal end" to such attempts and safeguard its sovereignty.

It did not elaborate on the details of the white paper authored by the North's Association for Human Rights Studies.

Since 2005, the U.N. General Assembly has adopted a resolution every year condemning North Korea's long-standing and widespread violations of human rights.

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