U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry strongly urged North Korea Wednesday to immediately shut down its political prison camps, saying that such violations of human rights have "no place in the 21st century."

During his Asia policy address at the East-West Center in Hawaii, he mentioned that the North’s proliferation activities pose a very serious threat to the United States and the World, and that the U.S is taking steps to deter and defend against North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear-armed ballistic missiles.

He moved on to the human rights issues in North Korea by expressing the U.S support for the investigation of U.N. Commission of Inquiry, which revealed to the world the cruelty of the North Korean system of labor camps and executions.

"Such deprivation of human dignity just has no place in the 21st century. North Korea's gulags should be shut down, not tomorrow, not next week, but now, and we will continue to speak out on this topic," he said.

Kerry also said that the U.S. "will continue to promote human rights and democracy in Asia without arrogance but also without apology."

Labeled as one of the worst human rights violators in the world, the communist regime does not tolerate dissent, holds hundreds of thousands of people in political prison camps across the nation and keeps tight control over outside information.

This was proven by the report of U.N. Commission of Inquiry issued in February, which said North Korean leaders are responsible for “widespread, systematic and gross” violations of human rights.

North Korea has bristled at any talk of its human rights conditions, calling it a U.S.-led attempt to topple its regime.

Souce: Yonhapnews