North Korea is criticizing South Korea’s decision to call North Korean defectors “Saeteomin” or “new settlers,” as a deceptive scheme to conceal what it called the South's intentional abduction of its nationals.

On an Internet website, North Korea said the new title sought to hide South Korea's intentions to encourage defections.

The website also called the move by South Korea's unification ministry, an "outright challenge" to Pyongyang on the defector issue.