North Korea slams new UN human rights expert as ‘biased’

SEOUL, Sept 2 (Reuters) – North Korea’s foreign ministry has slammed a new United Nations human rights expert as “biased”, saying the country would not tolerate what it calls efforts by the United States to overthrow the isolated regime, state media KCNA reported on Friday. .

Elizabeth Salmon, the new UN human rights expert on North Korea, is making her first official visit to South Korea since taking office last month. In his inaugural statement, Salmon said the human rights situation in the North had worsened after more than two years of strict measures to curb COVID-19.

“We had already made clear our principled position that we do not recognize or deal with any ‘special rapporteur’ who is merely a puppet of the United States,” KCNA said quoting an unidentified ministry spokesperson. Foreign Affairs.

Pyongyang has repeatedly dismissed accusations of human rights abuses and criticized UN investigations into the matter as a US-backed plan to interfere in its internal affairs.

“The DPRK will never forgive the United States and its vassal forces for the ‘human rights’ racket against the DPRK which aims to overthrow its social system,” the official said, referring to the North by its official name. , the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. (DPRK).

A recent separate UN report also said North Korea’s coronavirus containment measures have exacerbated human rights abuses in the country, citing additional restrictions on access to information, enhanced border security and increased digital surveillance. Read more

Salmon was scheduled to hold a press conference later Friday.

Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Christopher Cushing

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