Seoul, April 27 : North Korea on Saturday lashed out at the recent release of the US annual report on human rights situations in the reclusive country, calling it an act of interfering in the country's "internal affairs."

Earlier this week, the US State Department released the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, pointing out that North Koreans remained exposed to various types of human rights abuses last year, including forced repatriations, extrajudicial killings, forced abortion and the "worst forms" of child labour, Yonhap news agency reported.

The report also said Pyongyang did not take "credible steps" to identify and punish officials who may have committed such acts.

"The report has no relation at all with sincerely safeguarding human rights and is merely a basic material needed to rationalise its interference in our state affairs and scheme to overthrow our system," a spokesperson for the North's foreign affairs ministry said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "We firmly denounce and disapprove of the report."

The ministry denounced Washington for assessing human rights situations in other countries based on its own unilateral standards, saying the US is "encouraging" civilian massacres by supporting military operations with tens of billions of dollars.

The reclusive regime also criticised remarks by US government officials suggesting North Koreans should have better access to information as a plot to make North Korea collapse from the inside.

"If the US continues to pose military threats and use the human rights issue as a way to invade us, we have to consider making a firm and decisive move to protect our sovereignty and safety," the spokesperson said.

/IANS