North Korea Threatens US With Retaliation Over Human Trafficking Report
(MENAFN) North Korea has accused the United States of using human rights allegations to challenge its sovereignty after Washington published its 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report, warning that it would respond with its “toughest counteraction” against the US.
A spokesperson for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the report as a “grave politically motivated provocation,” alleging that it contained fabricated claims intended to discredit Pyongyang and advance Washington’s hostile policy toward the country.
The spokesperson also accused the US government of attempting to “politicize and weaponize human rights,” arguing that the report was being used as a political tool rather than as an objective assessment of human trafficking.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry rejected the report’s findings, describing the assessment as interference in the country’s domestic affairs. Pyongyang maintained that Washington was using human rights concerns to justify pressure on other governments.
The North Korean government also accused the United States of widespread human trafficking, challenging Washington’s authority to assess other countries’ efforts to combat the practice.
“The US ‘human rights’ racket against the DPRK (North Korea) ... will be the first target of the toughest counteraction against the US together with other hostile acts,” the spokesperson said, without providing details about the actions Pyongyang might take.
The report, released Thursday, placed North Korea in Tier 3, the lowest category in the US trafficking assessment, for the 24th consecutive year. The designation reflects Washington’s assessment that Pyongyang has failed to meet minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking and has not made sufficient efforts to address the problem.
The US assessment cited allegations of state-sponsored forced labor and inadequate measures to combat trafficking. Previous American reports have also accused North Korean authorities of exploiting prisoners and workers sent abroad through forced labor arrangements.
Pyongyang has repeatedly rejected such allegations, disputing the findings of US human rights assessments and accusing Washington of applying political pressure through its reporting system.
The latest dispute highlights the continuing tensions between the two governments over human rights, sovereignty and the use of international assessments as a tool of foreign policy. North Korea’s warning signals its opposition to the report, although the Foreign Ministry spokesperson did not outline any specific retaliatory measures.
A spokesperson for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the report as a “grave politically motivated provocation,” alleging that it contained fabricated claims intended to discredit Pyongyang and advance Washington’s hostile policy toward the country.
The spokesperson also accused the US government of attempting to “politicize and weaponize human rights,” arguing that the report was being used as a political tool rather than as an objective assessment of human trafficking.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry rejected the report’s findings, describing the assessment as interference in the country’s domestic affairs. Pyongyang maintained that Washington was using human rights concerns to justify pressure on other governments.
The North Korean government also accused the United States of widespread human trafficking, challenging Washington’s authority to assess other countries’ efforts to combat the practice.
“The US ‘human rights’ racket against the DPRK (North Korea) ... will be the first target of the toughest counteraction against the US together with other hostile acts,” the spokesperson said, without providing details about the actions Pyongyang might take.
The report, released Thursday, placed North Korea in Tier 3, the lowest category in the US trafficking assessment, for the 24th consecutive year. The designation reflects Washington’s assessment that Pyongyang has failed to meet minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking and has not made sufficient efforts to address the problem.
The US assessment cited allegations of state-sponsored forced labor and inadequate measures to combat trafficking. Previous American reports have also accused North Korean authorities of exploiting prisoners and workers sent abroad through forced labor arrangements.
Pyongyang has repeatedly rejected such allegations, disputing the findings of US human rights assessments and accusing Washington of applying political pressure through its reporting system.
The latest dispute highlights the continuing tensions between the two governments over human rights, sovereignty and the use of international assessments as a tool of foreign policy. North Korea’s warning signals its opposition to the report, although the Foreign Ministry spokesperson did not outline any specific retaliatory measures.
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