SEOUL, Aug 16 (Reuters) - North Korea's claim on Wednesday that U.S. soldier Travis King fled racism and abuse in America comes as Pyongyang pushes back on Washington's criticism of the North's human rights record.
King has not been directly heard from, but an uncle in United States told media this month his nephew said he experienced racism during his military service.
During the protests after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020, North Korean officials cited "extreme racists" in America and criticised authorities' response for threatening to "unleash even dogs for suppression".
North Korean state media has its own history of issuing racially charged statements.
A landmark 2014 U.N. report on North Korean human rights concluded that North Korean security chiefs - and possibly leader Kim Jong Un himself - should face justice for overseeing a state-controlled system of Nazi-style atrocities.
Persons:
Travis King, King, Lim Eul, Donald Trump, George Floyd, Harrison Kim, Eldridge Cleaver, ”, Barack Obama, gaunt, Obama, Kim Jong Un, Josh Smith, Soo, hyang Choi, Gerry Doyle
Organizations:
U.S . Army, United Nations Security, U.S, North, Korea's Kyungnam University, University of Hawaii, NK News, Black Panther Party, Thomson
Locations:
SEOUL, America, Pyongyang, Korea, United States, North Korea, U.S, Charlottesville , Virginia, Seoul, North Korean, African, China