North Korea tells the European Union to “mind its own business”

North Korea has harshly criticized the European Union over the draft resolution on the human rights situation in the country, calling the initiative a “hoax” and a “politically motivated provocation.” Pyongyang’s reaction was conveyed on Thursday by the North Korean mission to the UN, through the official KCNA news agency.

The North Korean regime accused the EU of distorting the policy and human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and urged the bloc “to mind its own affairs.” Pyongyang also claimed that human rights are not the “monopoly of the West” and pointed to protests organized in several European cities.

North Korea has been accused by the UN and international organizations of serious and systematic human rights violations, including detention in camps, restrictions on freedom of expression, and limited access to information. Every year since 2005, the UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution condemning these practices.

The draft supported by the EU is due to be considered at the end of the month by the General Assembly’s Third Committee, before being put to a plenary vote. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated last year that the situation in North Korea had not improved over the past decade and that, in several respects, it had worsened.

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