Travis King case highlights North Korea's history of citing US racism

North Korea's claim on Wednesday that U.S. soldier Travis King fled racism and abuse in America comes as Pyongyang pushes back on Washington's criticism of the North's human rights record.

North Korea broke nearly a month of silence on King, who is Black, issuing a state media report that he had confessed to illegally and deliberately entering the North, driven by "ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. Army" and disillusionment with inequality in U.S. society.

King has not been directly heard from, but an uncle in United States told media this month his nephew said he experienced racism during his military service.

The state media report comes a day before the United Nations Security Council is due to meet at the behest of Washington to discuss human rights abuses in North Korea.

For decades Pyongyang has highlighted racial discrimination in the United States as what it says is an example of Washington's hypocrisy, and analysts said North Korea is likely to use King's case to resist pressure over human rights.