North Korea rejects US accusation on religious freedom

North Korea on Friday rejected the US accusation of no tolerance for religious freedom in the country, media reported.

The US State Department on Wednesday issued its 2014 International Religious Freedom Report, in which it blasted North Korea for "zero-tolerance for religious freedom and poor human rights record."

A North Korean foreign ministry spokesman described the move as a "farce" intended to "hurt the ideology and social system" of the country and "impair the dignity and authority of the headquarters of the country."

North Korea staged the largest-ever military parade on Saturday to celebrate the 70th birthday of the ruling Worker's Party of Korea. Top leader Kim Jong Un gave a speech lauding the party's invincibility and an array of military hardware was put on display.

Pyongyang also vowed to "strongly react against the persistent 'human rights' racket kicked up by the US to bring down the social system of the country."