AKIPRESS.COM - The UN Security Council is discussing North Korea's human rights record, despite opposition from China and Russia.

It comes days after the UN General Assembly voted in favour of referring North Korea to the International Criminal Court to face charges of crimes against humanity.

North Korea has meanwhile reportedly suffered a large-scale internet outage.

Last week, the US said North Korea was behind a cyber attack on Sony Pictures.

It is the first time the UN Security Council has discussed the country's human rights record.

US envoy Samantha Power described North Korea as "a living nightmare", and said a UN report showed the country's brutality.

The report by a UN human rights inquiry in February said that ordinary North Koreans faced "unspeakable atrocities", including "deliberate starvation, forced labour, executions, torture" and political repression.

North Korea refused to co-operate with the report and condemned its findings. It is not attending the Security Council meeting.

Speaking on Monday, North Korean envoy Kim Song told AFP: "We cannot recognise the Security Council meeting. Its mandate is not human rights."

China and Russia also attempted to block the subject from being discussed at the Security Council. However, they were overruled by other members.