North Korea Warns of Tough Countermeasures Against the United States Over Human Rights Allegations
Pyongyang, North Korea | October 10, 2026 | The Global Journal
North Korea has warned of tough countermeasures against the United States over allegations concerning human rights violations and human trafficking. Pyongyang accuses Washington of using human rights issues as a political weapon to interfere in North Korea’s sovereignty and internal affairs.
On Saturday (October 10), North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) published a statement by a spokesperson for the country’s Foreign Ministry. The response came after the U.S. State Department released its 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report. Reuters, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency and Anadolu Agency also reported on the dispute.
Pyongyang Calls U.S. Report a ‘Political Provocation’
A spokesperson for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry described the U.S. report as a politically motivated provocation. The spokesperson claimed that the report contained fabricated allegations intended to advance Washington’s hostile policy toward Pyongyang.
North Korea accused the United States of politicizing human rights and human trafficking issues to justify interference in other countries’ internal affairs. Pyongyang rejected the findings and allegations contained in the U.S. report.
The spokesperson warned that Washington’s so-called human rights campaign against North Korea would become a primary target of the country’s toughest countermeasures against the United States, alongside other hostile actions. However, the spokesperson did not specify what measures North Korea might take.
North Korea Remains in Lowest Tier for 24th Consecutive Year
In its 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report, released on October 8, the U.S. State Department placed North Korea in Tier 3, the lowest category, for the 24th consecutive year.
The report alleged that North Korea uses state-sponsored forced labor in political prison camps and labor training centers, as well as among workers sent overseas. It also cited excessive working hours, hazardous working conditions and restrictions on access to passports for many North Korean workers abroad.
According to the U.S. assessment, revenue generated through state-sponsored forced labor is used to fund government operations.
Tier 3 is the lowest classification in the U.S. report. It applies to countries whose governments do not fully meet the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking and are not making significant efforts to do so.
North Korea Makes Counteraccusations Against Washington
While rejecting the U.S. allegations, North Korea accused Washington of involvement in widespread human trafficking and claimed that its annual report serves as a tool for exerting political pressure on other countries.
Pyongyang did not provide specific evidence in the statement to substantiate its counteraccusations against the United States. Washington’s allegations concerning forced labor and human trafficking in North Korea, meanwhile, have repeatedly been rejected by the North Korean government.
The two countries therefore maintain sharply contrasting positions on human rights and human trafficking.
Fresh Tensions in Long-Standing Hostile Relations
The United States and North Korea have long been at odds over nuclear weapons, security and human rights, among other issues. The latest exchange of accusations has brought renewed attention to the tensions between the two countries.
It remains unclear whether Pyongyang will take any specific action against Washington in response to the report. For now, North Korea’s warning signals another escalation in the diplomatic dispute between the two governments.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Reuters and Yonhap News Agency.
