A labour party organiser and chairman of a local branch of Labour pressure group Momentum has declared her “solidarity” with North Korea as it “fights imperialism”.

Sarah Cundy, 18, a supporter of far-left Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, featured the North Korean flag on her profile, alongside the gay pride flag, and those of Venezuela, Cuba, and Palestine.

When journalists drew questioned the flag, she said: “The flags in my bio represent countries I have solidarity with. I have solidarity with countries willing to stand up to imperialism.”

She added that she did not endorse North Korea’s missile launches over Japan but would “rather have solidarity with DPRK [North Korea] than the USA”, according to screenshots of her posts.

“The DPRK have weapons to keep themselves and their population safe from invasion – they don’t want to end up like Libya,” she also wrote.

Miss Cundy, from Canterbury, Kent, faced a backlash online with Twitter users questioning her stance on the dictatorial, totalitarian Communist state.

According to Kent Online, Martin Sales replied: “I wish that people who adulate these murderous regimes would go to these countries and see how people live.

“They would soon realise just how hellish they are.”

Dominic Potts, a former pupil of the Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys in Canterbury, added: “Is Miss Cundy really saying she supports torture and executions and the threat of nuclear war that this horrible tinpot dictatorship brings the world?”

Miss Cundy has since apologised for her comments. She said: “I really regret my comments and apologise if I’ve caused anyone any offence.

“As somebody who believes strongly in democracy I am not supportive of oppressive regimes, and the flag was intended in support of the citizens.

“I would also ask people to remember some of the silly things they said and did when they were 18 and regard my comments in the same light.”