N. Korea denounces global calls to end human rights abuse

North Korea denounced Tuesday the international community's accusations of human rights violations in the country, calling them an attempt to topple its regime.

The reaction from the North came amid heightening international calls on the North Korean regime to improve its human rights conditions.

The United Nations Human Rights Council pledged concerted efforts to end crimes against humanity in North Korea in March after its Commission of Inquiry filed an official report, after a year-long investigation, accusing North Korea of widespread, systemic and gross rights violations.

North Korea has since repeatedly refuted and denounced the U.N. move.

"Imperialists fabricate and criminalize human rights issues against independent, anti-imperialist countries while labeling those who submit themselves to them as rights-protecting nations," North Korea's Rodong Sinmun newspaper said.

"Such double standards are an attempt to change other countries' social systems under the pretext of human rights issues," the propaganda media organ of the governing communist party noted in an article.

"The gravest human rights violation is imperialists' invasion and war schemes," it also said, referring to the U.S.' wars with Afghanistan and Iraq. "Upholding independence and strengthening defense constitute protection of human rights and national sovereignty," it added. (Yonhap)