US: Human rights criticism needles NKorea

WASHINGTON — A U.S. official says North Korea is coming out of its shell as it scrambles to fight back against international criticism of its human rights record.

Robert King, U.S. envoy on North Korean human rights issues, said Friday that he's encouraged that Pyongyang is becoming more engaged on the issue but that the country remains a pariah state.

King says North Korea has faced "horrendous publicity" since a U.N. Commission of Inquiry concluded in February that the country had committed crimes against humanity. He urged the international community to keep up the pressure.

King said North Korea's diplomats have been in damage control mode.

This week, the North circulated a U.N. resolution defending their human rights record, responding to a critical resolution the European Union and Japan are drafting.