North Korea has announced the publication of a white paper criticizing the human rights situation in South Korea, condemning the Park Geun Hye

administration as “puppets under the rule of an American colony.”

In a piece published by the Rodong Sinmun on the 30th

entitled, “Denounce the South Chosun Human Rights Situation – the Worst in the

World,” it was written, “The South says

it has a ‘government’ and ‘law,’ but they are nothing more than puppets. They

are merely a tool used by the Americans in their colonial rule.”

“The people of South Chosun are deprived of everything thanks

to America. When human rights are infringed upon there is not even a place you

can go to complain,” it was stated.

“Democratic rights and political freedoms are mercilessly

infringed upon,” the piece continued, referring to South Korea’s practice of

deleting pro-North comments made online and the arrest of leftist lawmaker Lee Seok

Ki on charges of “plotting a rebellion.”

Specific instances were listed to show the “severe suppression of

people’s rights”, including examples of unemployment, suicide

and the shutdown of civilian protests.

Furthermore, it was written, “Over 60% of university students cannot afford their school

fees so must work [to make ends meet]. Some even have to subject their bodies

to medical trials.”

Human rights organizations providing assistance to North

Koreans wishing to defect were similarly accused of “receiving assistance funds

from the puppet authorities and habitually engaging in acts of kidnapping.”

The statement comes as international interest grows in the

North Korean human rights situation in the wake of the recent report by the United Nations Commission of Inquiry detailing evidence of systemic and

widespread human rights violations perpetrated by the regime.