"The US and South Korea should bear in mind that rash acts at a rare moment of improvement in their relations with the North could cause everything to go nowhere and that they would be better off to act reasonably," it said.

Meari, another North Korean propaganda outlet, echoed the criticism, saying that taking issue with the human rights situation in the North is aimed at "demonizing" it and is a "plot" to draw unilateral concessions from Pyongyang in denuclearization talks through pressure.

North Korea's media have taken a swipe at the US and South Korea recently for supporting a UN resolution condemning the North's abject human rights situation in mid-November. It is expected to pass the UN General Assembly next month for the 14th consecutive year.

On Monday, the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling party, questioned the real intention of the US, in particular, in taking issue with its human rights record, calling it a tactic to draw concessions in denuclearization talks between the two countries.

Nuclear talks between the US and North Korea have been almost stalemated since their historic June summit in Singapore in which the North agreed to complete denuclearization.

Since the US and the North canceled their high-level talks to discuss denuclearization and preparations for a second summit early this month, they have not been able to reschedule a meeting.

North Korea has long been accused of gross human rights violations, but Pyongyang has dismissed it as a US-led attempt to topple its regime.

Meanwhile, the Rodong Sinmun called on Japan to stop joining the US-led sanctions regime if it really wants to improve relations with Pyongyang.

"Externally, it talks about improving relations with the North but is just bent on figuring out the mood and intentions of the US, playing a key role in carrying out its master's strategy vacillating between hardline and softline stances against North Korea," the newspaper said in a commentary on Tuesday.

It added that should Japan continue to impose sanctions in line with Washington's criticism of the North's human rights record and bring up the "all resolved" abduction issue again and again, it would be regarded as an extension of its adherence to the US policy against Pyongyang.

"Then, the prospect of improving relations with North Korea, something that Japan has strongly sought after, would get bleaker," it said.(Yonhap)