N. Korea urges EU to halt push for U.N. human rights resolution

SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- North Korea warned the European Union on Thursday not to press ahead with a U.N. resolution against the communist nation for its human rights record, saying otherwise there would be "unpredictable consequences."

In a statement, the North's foreign ministry claimed the EU is "dancing to the tune of the United States" as it has drafted the U.N. resolution.

It argued that Pyongyang is committed to dialogue and cooperation with the international community in the human rights field.

But no progress has been made due to "the U.S. hostile policy to tarnish the image of the DPRK and bring down its social system at any cost," the ministry said in the statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency. The DPRK is the acronym for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"If the EU adopts an anti-DPRK 'human rights resolution' harsher than the previous one, dancing to the U.S. tune, an opportunity of engaging the DPRK over the human rights issue will be missed for good and this will entail unpredictable consequences," it said.

The ministry said the North has taken into positive consideration the issue of resuming human rights dialogue with the EU and allowing the visit of the UN special rapporteur on the country's human rights issue.
(END)