North Korea has strongly denounced the United States' request for a United Nations Security Council(UNSC) meeting to address human rights abuses in the regime as "a violent infringement upon its dignity and sovereignty."

Kim Son-gyong, Pyongyang’s vice foreign minister for international organizations, issued the criticism on Tuesday in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

The statement said that the North firmly condemns and rejects the “despicable” call for the meeting by Washington that reveals its hostility toward Pyongyang and demonstrates the dysfunction of the UNSC under the arbitrary repressiveness of the U.S.

The vice foreign minister added that North Korea will firmly respond to any hostile acts by the U.S. and protect the sovereignty and interests of its people.

The U.S. requested a formal meeting on Thursday to address human rights abuses in North Korea along with South Korea, Japan and Albania, which will be the first such meeting since December 2017 if convened.

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters last week that the issue of the North's human rights abuses is closely linked to the peace and security of the international community.

[Photo : YONHAP News]