SEOUL, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- North Korea denounced the United States as the world's most brutal violator of human rights and urged the withdrawal of U.S. troops from South Korea.
North Korea's state-controlled KCNA said Monday a recent report from Pyongyang's DPRK Association for Human Rights Studies included findings related to human rights abuses in countries where "genuine freedom and the rights of humanity are destroyed," Yonhap reported.
The countries in question included the United States and "the West." According to Pyongyang, the report was published in order to make "universally known" human rights violations in these countries.
KCNA said the report is divided into six chapters: political freedom and rights, civil rights, socioeconomic rights, "cultural" rights, violence against women and children, and racist oppression.
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"The United States and its followers are conspicuously interfering with select countries with political pressure, while defending themselves as guardians of human rights," Pyongyang said.
North Korea said the report is a "bill of indictment" against the United States and the West and that the findings "laid bare" their hypocrisies.
The association also mentioned the deaths in 2002 of two South Korean teenage girls run over by a U.S. military vehicle during an off-base training mission. The incident exemplified how the rule of the "invading army of the U.S. imperialists" was a protraction of Japanese colonial dominance, according to Pyongyang.
In a separate statement Monday, North Korea said the North-South high-level talks in August showed that both sides can maintain the peace -- and urged the withdrawal of U.S. troops from South Korea.
Pyongyang's media outlet Uriminzokkiri called for withdrawal a day ahead of the 70th anniversary of the U.S. military presence in South Korea, which is to be observed Tuesday.
North Korea blamed the U.S.-South Korea joint exercises for tensions and for creating mistrust between North and South.
Pyongyang warned more incidents could arise if the United States does not withdraw troops from the peninsula and that U.S. responsibility would be strictly scrutinized.
