The United States says North Korea is one of the world's most inhumane regimes.

In its annual review on global human rights, the U-S State Department said North Korea committed widespread abuses of human rights last year.

Human rights abuses allegedly documented in North Korea include killings, torture, forced abortions and infanticide. The report added rigid controls over information reflect the totalitarian repression of North Korean society.

The report also cast an unfavorable light on several other Asian countries, including China and Myanmar.

The report criticized China's approach to human rights, citing the arrest of democracy activists and individuals discussing subjects deemed sensitive by the government on the Internet.