NK slams UN human rights meeting as US 'scheme'

Kim Il-hyeok, a North Korean defector, speaks during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, at United Nations headquarters, Aug. 17. AP-Yonhap

North Korea slammed a recent United Nations meeting about its human rights record, asserting the United States used the international organization for a "scheme" against Pyongyang, state media KCNA reported Saturday.

The U.N. Security Council discussed human rights abuses in North Korea, Thursday, with the U.S. ambassador criticizing leader Kim Jong Un for using "repression and cruelty" to develop nuclear weapons and missiles.

U.S. President Joe Biden and the leaders of South Korea and Japan agreed at Camp David, Friday, to deepen military and economic cooperation in facing China's growing power and nuclear threats from North Korea. They also agreed to hold military training exercises annually and share real-time information on North Korean missile launches by the end of the year.

China, North Korea's major ally, opposed the meeting of the 15-member council on abuses in North Korea but it did not attempt to block it.

"We will never tolerate the U.S. and its followers' anti-(North Korea) 'human rights' slander scheme, and will defend the sovereignty of the state, the socialist system and security interests," North Korea's KCNA quoted as an unnamed spokesperson from the country's human rights think tank as saying.

For decades Pyongyang has highlighted racial discrimination in the United States as what it calls an example of Washington's hypocrisy.

North Korea said Wednesday that an American soldier, Travis King who crossed into North Korea last month, had fled racism and abuse in America. (Reuters)