A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea issued the following press statement on Nov. 21:

At the meeting of Third Committee of the 76 th Session of the United Nations General Assembly held on November 17, the United States and other hostile forces have forced the adoption of anti-DPRK "human rights resolution" which only serves to smear the true human rights situation in our country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK strongly denounces and categorically rejects the anti-DPRK "human rights resolution" of the hostile forces as it is a product of anti-DPRK hostile policy and double standard as well as a grave infringement upon the sovereignty aimed at tarnishing the prestigious image of our state.

The said "resolution" is nothing more than a document of stereotyped fraud as it is all about fabrications cooked up by the hostile forces who harbor the inveterate repugnance and prejudice against us.

In our country - where the people-first politics run through the state activities and overall social life - all lines and policies of the state thoroughly serve to give the highest and absolute priority to the people's rights and interests and to promote the well-being of the people.

The countries picking on our "human rights issue" are unexceptionally the worst violators of human rights with horrible human rights records such as racial discrimination, national chauvinism, violence against women, police violence and gun-related crime.

The African Americans' crying of "I can't breathe" which has now been recorded in history as a synonym for racial discrimination is a warning bell to the institutional practices of human rights violation that are widespread in the U.S. and the Western countries keeping up the pretense of being "civilized states in the field of human rights."

The United Nations, if it is to fulfil its intrinsic mission the pillar of which is ensuring objectivity, equity and impartiality, should not fail to take up and bring to account the inhumane crimes committed by the U.S. that killed a large number of civilians in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan under the pretext of "democracy" and "protection of human rights."

The international society should raise its due vigilance over the negative tendencies that human rights issue is misused by some countries as a means for realizing their sinister intentions, and that the august forum of United Nations is exploited for justifying the undisguised interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states and the regime change.

To us, human rights is, after all, state rights.

We will never tolerate any attempts that violate the sovereignty of our state, and we will continue to resolutely counter to the end the ever-worsening moves of the hostile forces against us.