N. Korea raps UN human rights council over 'arbitrary' standards

The ministry said the UN council's adoption of human rights resolutions "targets particular countries," which is against its purpose of treating human rights issues in a "fair, equal" manner.

"The UN Human Rights Council has become a stage for pinpointing independent, developing nations under the arbitrary Western standards," the ministry said in a statement posted on its website.

The remark came after the UN General Assembly's Third Committee on Wednesday passed a resolution condemning North Korea's human rights violations for the 17th consecutive year.

The ministry claimed the special rapporteurs on North Korean human rights situations are from countries that do not comply with Western values and human rights standards, and are selected without discussions among member states.

Tomas Ojea Quintana, a lawyer from Argentina, has been serving in the position since 2016.

It also said the US and other Western powers should stop "coercion" and "tyranny" to improve human rights "in the true sense."

The UN has adopted such a resolution on North Korea's human rights problem every year since 2005. This year's resolution will be forwarded to a plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly next month.

South Korea didn't participate in the resolution for the third consecutive year, which was seen as an apparent bid not to antagonise its reclusive neighbour and revive a dialogue mood.