US Condemns North Korea's Repression to Build Nuclear Weapons, China Wants UNSC to Play Constructive Role

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un while showing off new ballistic missiles and drones to the Russian and Chinese delegations. (Source: KCNA)

JAKARTA - The United States condemned North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un at a UN meeting for using repression, cruelty and totalitarian rule to illegally develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

"We cannot have peace without human rights," US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the UN Security Council, which is holding its first open meeting to discuss human rights abuses in North Korea.

"Kim Jong-un's repressive and totalitarian control of society, as well as his systemic and widespread denial of human rights and fundamental freedoms, ensured that the regime could spend enormous public resources developing its unlawful ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs, without any resistance from the community," he explained.

North Korea (DPRK) has repeatedly rejected accusations of abuses, blaming sanctions for the country's dire humanitarian situation. Since 2006, North Korea has been under UN sanctions over its ballistic missile and nuclear programs, but there are relief exemptions.

Meanwhile, China said it opposed the 15-member council's public meeting on abuses in North Korea, but made no attempt to block it on Thursday.

"The council should play a constructive role in continuing talks and easing tensions," China's Deputy UN Ambassador Geng Shuang told a meeting requested by the United States, Albania and Japan.

"Pushing the council to discuss the human rights situation in the DPRK will not only not help alleviate, but also exacerbate the situation. This is irresponsible, unconstructive and an abuse of the council's powers," he said.

As previously reported, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Monday called for an increase in missile production to prepare for war. Meanwhile yesterday, a South Korean lawmaker warned Pyongyang might launch an intercontinental ballistic missile to protest the US, Japan and South Korea summit.

Separately, UN human rights chief Volker Turk said there have been decades of chronic human rights violations in North Korea, and many of them "stem directly from, or support for, the increased militarization of the DPRK."

He cited widespread forced labor being used to "support the country's military apparatus and its ability to manufacture weapons."

North Korea did not comment on the meeting. But on Wednesday, North Korea criticized human rights in the United States, saying US soldier Travis King had sought refuge in North Korea from racism and harassment at home and in the US military.

"No country has a perfect human rights record. We all have flaws. But in an open society, people can protest and encourage progress," said Thomas-Greenfield.