DPRK demands withdrawal of UN human rights resolution

PYONGYANG - Ri Su-yong, foreign minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), has demanded the United Nations withdraw a 2014 human rights resolution on Pyongyang, the official KCNA news agency reported Wednesday.

Sin Tong-hyok, a "north defector", recently confessed his "testimony" was a fabrication, which led to a "collapse" of the basis of the human rights resolution adopted at the 69th session of the UN General Assembly, the foreign minister said in separated letters to Ban Ki-moon and UN General Assembly's President Sam Kutesa.

Last month, Sin Tong-hyok, or Shin Dong-hyuk called in South Korea, recanted part of his story as a victim of human rights abuses in the DPRK and admitted part of his account was not true.

In the letter, the minister asked the United Nations to "take due measures to revoke the resolution" which Pyongyang claims was adopted "based on fabricated information."

He also asked Ban and Kutesa to urge "initiators" of the resolution to apologize before the international community.

"In such a case, it will be more evident that the UN arena where the impartiality and objectivity become the principles of activities was misused for the anti-DPRK 'human rights' racket and this will result in deeply undermining 'the confidence the UN enjoys," the KCNA quoted the letter as saying.

In November 2014, the Third Committee of the 69th United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution, drafted by the European Union and Japan, that recommends the Security Council refer the DPRK to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.