North Korea labels US report on forced labor 'tier‑3' slur

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has dismissed the United States' 2026 human‑trafficking dossier as "full of lies, fabricated facts and prejudice." In a Saturday statement, the foreign ministry said the document serves as a political weapon designed to undermine North Korea's sovereignty. The US report placed the country in Tier‑3, the lowest category reserved for nations such as China, Russia, Iran and Cuba, a ranking the DPRK has held for 24 years.

Washington's findings allege that forced labour is embedded in political prison camps and labour training centres, with the generated revenue allegedly supporting state functions. The dossier also expressed alarm over North Korean expatriates forced into strenuous work abroad, often without passport access and under unsafe conditions. Pyongyang branded these accusations as politically motivated and vowed to counter any US human‑rights policy that threatens its sovereign rights, though it did not outline specific retaliatory steps.