Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Tom Malinowski, left, addresses journalists at a press conference in Manama, Bahrain, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2014.
The US has a tough message to officials running North Korea's notorious network of prison and labor camps: We know who you are, and we know what you are doing.
US Assistant Secretary of State Tom Malinowski made the remarks on Wednesday, as he shared a stage with two young North Korean defectors to mark international human rights day.
A UN commission of inquiry has accused the government of running political prison camps with up to 120,000 inmates in a report alleging crimes against humanity.
Malinowski said the UN Security Council will soon discuss the North's human rights situation, amid a push for a referral to the International Criminal Court.
North Korea's traditional ally, China, is likely to veto any attempt at a referral.