Seoul, June 18: North Korea today dismissed US charges that it had failed to combat human trafficking, saying the allegations were part of Washington's hostile campaign against the communist state. The US annual "Trafficking in persons" report last week cited 15 countries, including North Korea, for failing to adequately fight sex trafficking, opening the way for possible US sanctions.
"This is one more despicable charade which can be orchestrated only by the US ruling quarters steeped in the hostility towards the DPRK (North Korea) to the marrow of their bones," the North's foreign ministry spokesman told the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
"By nature 'flesh traffic' is something that can occur only in the American society where the fin-de-siecle tendency based on the money-is- everything principle and the jungle law prevails," the spokesman said.
The US report said a growing number of North Koreans, particularly women, who flee their famine-hit homeland are falling victim to human trafficking.
"Women who enter northern China may be sold as brides and exploited into prostitution," the report said.
It also said North Korea places its own workers "under circumstances of forced labor exploitation" by sending them as laborers to Russia's isolated far east.
US-North Korean ties have been worsening since a fresh standoff erupted over Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions in October last year.
Bureau Report