U.S. watchdog again rates North Korea as among least-free countries

SEOUL, Jan. 17 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. human rights watchdog has evaluated North Korea as one of the least free nations in the world, a U.S. broadcaster reported Wednesday.

Washington-based Freedom House made the assessment in its annual report, "Freedom in the World 2018," Voice of America said.

According to the report, the North got rock-bottom scores of seven for political rights and civil liberties, the broadcaster said. North Korea was assessed a seven for freedom rating, also on a scale of one to seven, with one being "most free" and seven representing "least free."

In aggregate score, the North got only three points out of 100, the broadcaster said, adding that the North's score is the third-lowest among the 195 nations assessed, ahead of only Syria and Yemen.

The North has consistently been ranked in the group of the worst nations for freedom status since Freedom House published its first annual report in 1972, the broadcaster said.

The organization criticized the North Korean regime as one of the clearest threats to world peace by rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, according to the broadcaster.

The purpose of the North's aggressive nuclear development lies in beefing up its repressive criminal regime, the organization was cited as saying.

Among the other worst countries were Eritrea, Turkmenistan, Equatorial Guinea and Saudi Arabia, the broadcaster said.

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