Kim Jong Un Accused Of 'Repression And Cruelty' At UN — North Korea Hits Back At US In Response

North Korea slammed the U.S., alleging that the United Nations meeting on the nation’s human rights record was exploited as a strategic “scheme” to undermine Pyongyang, further escalating tensions on the global stage.

What Happened: During the recent United Nations Security Council meeting on Thursday that discussed human rights abuses in North Korea, the U.S. Ambassador delivered a scathing critique of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un‘s methods, accusing him of employing “repression and cruelty” to advance the country’s nuclear weapons and missile programs. 

This rebuke was met with an indignant response from North Korea, which accused the U.S. of orchestrating a calculated plan to discredit and harm the nation, reported Reuters. 

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North Korea’s state media, KCNA, quoted an unnamed spokesperson from the country’s human rights think tank, who asserted, “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.”

China, a principal ally of North Korea, expressed disapproval of the 15-member council’s assembly regarding North Korean human rights abuses. However, the report noted that it refrained from actively obstructing the meeting. 

Why It’s Important: In July last year, the International Bar Association’s War Crimes Committee concluded an investigation, calling for examining Kim Jong Un and other North Korean officials regarding numerous human rights violations within the country’s detention centers. 

The investigation, which followed over two years of rigorous work on ‘Crimes Against Humanity in North Korean Detention Centers,’ found that North Korea had persistently committed 10 of the 11 crimes against humanity listed in Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. 

These include murder, extermination, enslavement, forcible transfer, imprisonment, torture, sexual violence, persecution, enforced disappearances, apartheid, and other inhumane acts. 

The report’s findings were based on extensive hearings that featured testimonies from North Korean escapees and experts.

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